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Children and teenagers (adopted and biological);
Married and Unmarried Women;
Men;
Fa’afafine;
Persons with Disabilities;
The Elderly; and
Persons of Diverse Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGISC persons).
Or, more simply put – everyone is vulnerable to family violence. The same is true for perpetrators, who
similarly do not fit into one definable category. Those responsible for acts of violence can be men, women,
fa’afafine or children, married or unmarried, matai (chief) or untitled, wealthy or poor, educated or not.
5.3 Impact
The impact of family violence is different from person to person and often victims can be re-traumatized
if their reaction does not fit into what people think it should. For example, if a victim of rape does not
fight back during the violent sexual assault, people sometimes question whether it actually constitutes
rape, diminishing the experience of the victim, questioning their trauma and absolving the perpetrator of
any responsibility.
Developing a thorough understanding of the ways in which family violence can impact people and the
ways in which they may react is therefore crucial in ensuring victims are given the support they require
and perpetrators are not allowed to act with impunity and are held responsible for their actions. This will
be discussed in detail in Part III of the Report. Regardless of how a person reacts to being subject to
violence the very act is a violation of their fundamental human rights such as the right to life, liberty and
security of the person. It prohibits the full expression of life and violates principles of dignity, respect and
alofa (love).
5.4 Language
The language we use when talking about someone who has experienced violence is important because
the way we describe it has an effect on our perceptions of the act of violence and those involved. For
example, referring to a person who has experienced family violence as a ‘victim’. The word ‘victim’ can
imply helplessness, pity and the sense of being trapped, which may not reflect the true situation of the
individual and nor is it helpful in either coming up with a support plan or in the way we interact with that
person from then on.
Alternatively, we may refer to people as ‘survivors’ which is associated more with a person who has
overcome a situation. It is possible to be both a victim and a survivor and this Report will use the two
terms interchangeably depending on the context.