What is domestic violence?
The term domestic violence encompasses all types of violence between close relations. This applies to relationships between both heterosexual and homosexual couples, violence in other types of family and kinship relations as well as children who experience violence in their family. Domestic violence is characterised by the fact that the exposed person has a close relationship with and often strong emotional ties to the perpetrator.
Violence affect both women and men, but the majority of those exposed are women. In most cases, the perpetrator is a man. There are also occurrences of women exposing men to violence in heterosexual relationships. Violence also occurs in LGBTIQ-relationships. Fear of being exposed as a homosexual, bisexual or transsexual person, unless already open about it, can make such violence even closer to handle.
Domestic violence can take many forms. It can be physical, sexual, psychological, material and financial violence, and usually becomes more serious the longer the relationship continues.
Physical violence
Physical violence ranges from a push, a hit, a kick, a stranglehold or attempted suffocation to the use of different weapons.
Sexual violence
Sexual violence encompasses everything from unwelcome touches to being forced to perform sexual actions or being subjected to them, inclusive of rape, or witnessing different forms of sexual actions. The exposed person can also be photographed or filmed for a sexual purpose against their will.
Psychological violence and threats of violence
Different types of isolation, verbal humiliations, emotional blackmail, shaming and using children to control the other parent are examples of psychological domestic violence. Threats can also be directed towards children, pets or close friends. Stalking (illegal pursuit) and other harassments are other examples of psychological violence.
Material and financial violence
Such violence can consist of material damage, such as the perpetrator destroying furniture and other things in the home. The exposed person can also be forced to destroy property of special significance. Violence may also be directed against pets. The perpetrator can take control of the economy and material assets in order to increase isolation and vulnerability, and to make it more difficult to end the relationship.
Read more about the expressions and mechanisms of violence at the NCK website
English Website
Links to other pages on domestic violence
Domestic violence (first page)
How common is domestic violence?
What are the consequences of domestic violence?
What can you do as manager?
How do we proceed? Support from other actors
All information (pdf)