Varying degrees of physical force such as  shaking, pushing, grabbing, slapping, biting,scratching,hitting,kicking, etc, progressing in severity through serious forms of assault, right up to the level of manslaughter and murder, as listed under the 1977 Penal Act.

Regarding sex, even within the legal framework of marriage, there can be sexual violence e.g. where a husband rapes his wife and the act of intercourse, which is legal within itself, is forced i.e. without consent.

Other more common examples of sexual abuse within the family include indecent assault of various kinds, rape and sodomy of minors by a parent, elder sibling or relative. All the sexual offences are listed in the 1977 Penal Act.

All the above forms of physical/sexual violence are deemed ‘domestic violence’ where there take place ‘within the family’.