Sexual Violence

Damages And Elimination Of Rape

What is Sexual Violence?
 Sexual violence is a broad category of actions in which a person exerts their power
and control over another person through unwanted, nonconsensual or harmful
sexual actions.
 It’s an all-encompassing, non-legal term that refers to crimes like sexual assault, rape,
and sexual abuse.  

Forms In Which Sexual Violence Can Occur

 Sexual Assault: An act in which a person sexually touches another person without
that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual
act against their will.
 Sexual Coercion: The use of pressure, manipulation, misuse of authority or status, or
deception to gain sexual contact without a person’s consent.
 Rape: Rape is a form of sexual violence. The term rape is often used as a legal
definition to specifically include sexual penetration without consent.
 Sexual Exploitation: Actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, power,
or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily,
socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.
 Sexual Harassment: Sexual Harassment may involve unwelcome sexual advances,
requests for sexual favors, other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual
nature; sexual innuendo; offensive jokes; and repeated unwanted invitations.
 Stalking: The act or crime of willfully and repeatedly following or harassing another
person (can be in person, but also occur via telephone or social media) in
circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to fear injury or death especially
because of expressed or implied threats.
 Relationship Violence: Repeated behaviors such as threats, verbal abuse, and
physical abuse, involving adults who are in an intimate dating relationship.
 Sexual Harassment using Technology: Some people use technology, such as digital
photos, videos, apps, and social media, to engage in harassing, unsolicited, or non-
consensual sexual interactions.
Other Forms Include;
 Child Sexual Abuse
 Incest
 Sexual Assault of Men and Boys
 Intimate Partner Sexual Violence
 Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
 Sexual Abuse by Medical Professionals
 Sexual Exploitation by a Helping Professional, include doctors, therapists, professors,
police officers, lawyers, religious leaders
 Multiple-Perpetrator Sexual Assault
 Elder Abuse
 Sexual Abuse of People with Disabilities
 Prisoner Rape
 Military Sexual Trauma

Prevention and Safety from Sexual Abuse

 In Social Settings
 Make a plan: If you’re going to a party, go with people you trust. Agree to watch out
for each other and plan to leave together. If your plans change, make sure to touch
base with the other people in your group. Don’t leave someone stranded in an
unfamiliar or unsafe situation.
 Protect your drink: Don’t leave your drink unattended, and watch out for your
friends’ drinks if you can. If you go to the bathroom or step outside, take the drink
with you or toss it out. Drink from unopened containers or drinks you watched being
made and poured.
 Tell a friend where you’re going: Take a screenshot of your date’s profile and send it
to a friend. Let at least one friend know where and when you plan to go on your date.
If you continue your date in another place you hadn’t planned on, text a friend to let
them know your new location. It may also be helpful to arrange to text or call a friend
partway through the date or when you get home to check in.
  Meet in a public place: For your first date, avoid meeting someone you don’t know
well yet in your home, apartment, or workplace. It may make both you and your date
feel more comfortable to meet in a coffee shop, restaurant, or bar with plenty of
other people around. Avoid meeting in public parks and other isolated locations for
first dates.
 Don’t rely on your date for transportation: It's important that you are in control of
your own transportation to and from the date so that you can leave whenever you
want and do not have to rely on your date in case you start feeling uncomfortable.
Even if the person you're meeting volunteers to pick you up, avoid getting into a
vehicle with someone you don’t know and trust, especially if it’s the first meeting.
Make sure you have data on your phone and it’s fully charged, or consider bringing
your charger or a portable battery with you.
 Stick to what you’re most comfortable with: There’s nothing wrong with having a
few drinks on a date. Try to keep your limits in mind and do not feel pressured to
drink just because your date is drinking. It can also be a good idea to avoid taking
drugs before or during a first date with someone new because drugs could alter your
perception of reality or have unexpected interactions with alcohol.
 Trust your instincts: If you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts and feel free to
leave a date or cut off communication with whoever is making you feel unsafe. Do
not worry about feeling rude—your safety is most important, and your date should
understand that.

Understanding Consent
 What Is Consent?
 Consent is an agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity. Consent
should be clearly and freely communicated. A verbal and affirmative expression of
consent can help both you and your partner to understand and respect each other’s
boundaries.
 Consent cannot be given by individuals who are underage, intoxicated or
incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, or asleep or unconscious. If someone agrees to an
activity under pressure of intimidation or threat, that isn’t considered consent
because it was not given freely. Unequal power dynamics, such as engaging in sexual
activity with an employee or student, also mean that consent cannot be freely given.
 When you’re engaging in sexual activity, consent is about communication. And it
should happen every time for every type of activity. Consenting to one activity, one
time, does not mean someone gives consent for other activities or for the same
activity on other occasions. For example, agreeing to kiss someone doesn’t give that
person permission to remove your clothes. Having sex with someone in the past
doesn’t give that person permission to have sex with you again in the future. It’s
important to discuss boundaries and expectations with your partner prior to
engaging in any sexual behavior.
 You can withdraw consent at any point if you feel uncomfortable. One way to do this
is to clearly communicate to your partner that you are no longer comfortable with
this activity and wish to stop. The best way to ensure that all parties are comfortable
with any sexual activity is to talk about it, check in periodically, and make sure
everyone involved consents before escalating or changing activities.

Enthusiastic consent can look like this:

 Asking permission before you change the type or degree of sexual activity with
phrases like “Is this OK?”
 Confirming that there is reciprocal interest before initiating any physical touch.
 Letting your partner know that you can stop at any time.
 Periodically checking in with your partner, such as asking “Is this still okay?”
 Providing positive feedback when you’re comfortable with an activity.
 Explicitly agreeing to certain activities, either by saying “yes” or another affirmative
statement, like “I’m open to trying.”
 Using physical cues to let the other person know you’re comfortable taking things to
the next level.

Note: Physiological responses like an erection, lubrication, arousal, or orgasm are

involuntary, meaning your body might react one way even when you are not
consenting to the activity. Sometimes perpetrators will use the fact that these
physiological responses occur to maintain secrecy or minimize a survivor's
experience by using phrases such as, "You know you liked it." In no way does a
physiological response mean that you consented to what happened. If you have been
sexually abused or assaulted, it is not your fault.

Consent does NOT look like this:

 Refusing to acknowledge “no”
 A partner who is disengaged, nonresponsive, or visibly upset
 Assuming that wearing certain clothes, flirting, or kissing is an invitation for anything
more
 Someone being under the legal age of consent, as defined by the state
 Someone being incapacitated because of drugs or alcohol
 Pressuring someone into sexual activity by using fear or intimidation
 Assuming you have permission to engage in a sexual act because you’ve done it in
the past