Overgreb

Overgreb is a Danish term that denotes abuse, violation, or transgression against another person's physical integrity or personal rights. It is used in everyday speech, media, and formal contexts to describe actions that infringe someone’s autonomy or dignity beyond what is socially acceptable. The word combines over-, indicating crossing a boundary, with greb, grasp or grab, conveying the sense of an act that improperly encroaches on another person.

In usage, overgreb covers a broad range of acts, including physical violence, sexual abuse, coercion, psychological manipulation, emotional abuse, neglect, and exploitation. It is frequently used in phrases such as overgreb mod børn (abuse of children) or overgreb i hjemmet (domestic abuse). The term is sometimes used more broadly than specific legal charges, functioning as a descriptive category in discussions of personal safety, victim support, and public policy. However, acts described as overgreb may also constitute criminal offenses such as vold (violence), seksuelle overgreb (sexual abuse), or tvangsudnyttelse (coercive exploitation) under Danish law.

In legal and social contexts, emphasis is placed on safeguarding, reporting, and assistance for victims. Public authorities and NGOs use the term to address prevention, investigation, and intervention, including shelter services, counselling, and legal support. The concept is mirrored in related Scandinavian terms, such as overgrep in Norwegian and övergrepp in Swedish, with similar meanings and distinctions in each language.