"Harassment" includes the following:

(a) intimidation of a victim by a perpetrator through the following:

1. persistent verbal abuse
2. threats of physical violence
3. malicious damage to the victim's property
4. persistently contacting the victim by any means, including via email, facsimile, post, telephone or text message
5. any other means

(b) persistently following a victim about from place to place

(c) hiding clothes or other property owned or used by a victim or depriving the victim of the use thereof

(d) approaching, besetting or watching the house or other place where a victim resides, works, carries on business, studies or happens to be

(e) publishing on the internet or by any other mass medium, statements or other material relating to a victim without the victim's consent

(f) keeping a victim or the victim's communications under surveillance without the victim's knowledge or consent

(g) any other act, the purpose of which is to intimidate, scare or cause a victim to face harm^[3]

We identified the following other important domestic violence terms defined in relevant domestic violence statutes and codes.

Child

This means a person under 18 years old who is not married, and is considered to be in a domestic relationship by virtue of continued residence or a relationship of consanguinity or affinity with a perpetrator or victim of domestic violence. This includes an adopted child, a stepchild and a ward.

Child abuse

This means any act of domestic violence perpetrated against a child and this includes causing or permitting a child to witness, hear or to be exposed to acts of domestic violence.

Cohabiting relationship

This means a relationship where persons who are not legally married are living together in the same household as husband and wife.

Dependent

This means a person who, by some physical, mental or other disability, is wholly or partly maintained by a perpetrator or victim of domestic violence.

Domestic relationship

This means the relationship between a perpetrator of domestic violence and a victim who is a spouse, former spouse, child, dependent or other person who is considered to be a relative of the perpetrator by virtue of consanguinity or affinity. This includes cohabiting and visiting relationships.

Emotional abuse

This means any act by a perpetrator that causes psychological pain or injury to a victim. This includes harassment, the use of threatening words or behavior and withholding from a victim access to the victim's child, parent or guardian.

Financial abuse

This means the exercise of control by a perpetrator over a victim's access to financial resources through coercion, deception or intimidation, the effect of which is to hinder the victim's financial independence or ability to maintain a child or dependent, or to ensure financial dependence on the perpetrator. This includes exploitation of the victim's financial resources and withholding financial support necessary to maintain a victim, child or dependent.

Perpetrator

This means a person who commits an act of domestic violence.

Person at risk

This means a person named in an emergency protection order for whose safety the order is issued.

Physical abuse

This means any act or omission by a perpetrator that causes pain or injury to the body of a victim.

Respondent

This means a person against whom an application for a protection order is made.

Sexual abuse

This means the performance by a perpetrator of a sexual act on a victim by the use of force, threat, fear, manipulation or guile. This includes the actual or attempted commission of any of the offenses stated in Part I of the Sexual Offenses Act, Cap. 154.

Spouse

This means a party to a marriage or cohabiting relationship.

Visiting relationship

This means a relationship where the parties do not live together in the same household, but in which there are romantic, intimate or have sexual relations.^[5]