What is Sexual violence?
A sexual act committed against someone with out their free will or consent. This includes; unwanted touching in genitals, unwanted exposure to pornography, when someone watches sexual acts with out permission, when someone exposes themselves in public, sexual harassment or threats, forcing someone to pose for sexual pictures, or perform sexual acts.
What is consent?
Consent is when someone agrees, gives permission, or says "yes" to sexual activity with other persons. Consent is always freely given and all people in a sexual situation must feel that they are able to say "yes" or "no" or stop the sexual activity at any point.
What is sexual assault?
Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.
What is rape?
Rape is a violent crime involving sexual acts forced on one person by another. Rape is technically defined as forced penetration (with any body part or object) including anal, vaginal or oral intercourse. Rape is illegal and while the term "rape" specifies penetration, other sexual acts not involving penetration, when forced on someone, are also illegal.
What is date rape?
Date rape is akin to acquaintance rape. In both cases the survivor knows the perpetrator, but has not consented to sexual intercourse. The term “date” often leads people to believe that one must be dating the rapist for a sexual assault to count as “date rape,” but that is not the case. Regardless of whether two parties are in a relationship, rape is sex without consent, and it is a crime.
What is a forensic exam?
A forensic exam is done to collect and preserve evidence that can be used in court. For sexual assault, this is commonly referred to as collecting a “rape kit”. Evidence is best collected as soon as possible or at least within 96 hours of the sexual assault or rape.
What is Dating Violence
Dating violence or dating abuse is defined as the perpetration or threat of an act of violence by at least one member of an unmarried couple on the other member within the context of dating or courtship. Dating/relationship violence is a pattern of coercive and abusive tactics employed by one partner in a relationship to gain power and control over the other partner.
What is Stalking
Stalking is a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.
Effects of Sexual Violence
The most immediate person affected by sexual violence is the victim/survivor, but the effects of sexual violence also go far beyond individual survivors, impacting their closest relationships as well as impacting communities and our society at large.