Italy - General legal definition

Standard definitions of violence against women can be found in the national survey (ISTAT), fully dedicated for the first time to physical and sexual violence against women, which considered three different types of violence against women: physical; sexual and psychological violence, both inside the family (by partner or ex-partner) and outside family (by an unknown person, acquaintances, a friend, a colleague, a family friend, a relative etc.). Physical violence ranges from relatively mild to most serious: the threat to be physically struck, to be pushed, or yanked, knocked, slapped, kicked, punched, or subjected to attempted strangulation, choking, burning and threats with weapons. As sexual violence, all those situations in which women are forced to perform or suffer sexual acts of various kinds against their will are considered: rape, attempted rape, sexual physical harassment, sexual intercourse with a third party, undesired sexual intercourse, suffered for fear of consequences, degrading and humiliating sexual activities. Psychological violence includes denigration, behaviour control, segregation strategies, intimidation, severe financial limitations imposed by the partner.