Forms of sexual violence
Forms of sexual violence
There are many forms of sexual violence, including but not limited to:
• Child sexual abuse
• Commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and
human trafficking
• Exposure and voyeurism
• Forced participation in the production or viewing of
pornography
• Incest
• Rape– whether the victim knows the perpetrator slightly,
casually, intimately, or not at all
• Ritual abuse
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual or gender-based bullying, including cyber-bullying
• Sexual Assault
(The terms rape and ‘sexual assault’ are used simply to differentiate between two types of offence. So what’s the difference?
The unofficial (and official in most countries) definition of rape is when a person intentionally penetrates another’s vagina, anus or mouth with a penis, without the other person’s consent. Assault by penetration is when a person penetrates another person’s vagina or anus with any part of the body other than a penis, or by using an object, without the person’s consent.
The overall definition of sexual or indecent assault is an act of physical, psychological and emotional violation in the form of a sexual act, inflicted on someone without their consent. It can involve forcing or manipulating someone to witness or participate in any sexual acts.
Not all cases of sexual assault involve violence, cause physical injury or leave visible marks. Sexual assault can cause severe distress, emotional harm and injuries which can’t be seen – all of which can take a long time to recover from. This is why we use the term ‘assault’, and treat reports just as seriously as those of violent, physical attacks.
Unwanted Sexual Contact
Intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or
buttocks of any person without his or her consent, or of a person who is unable to consent or refuse. Unwanted
sexual contact can be perpetrated against a victim or by making a victim touch the perpetrator. Unwanted
sexual contact could be referred to as sexual harassment in some contexts (e.g., school or workplace).
Non-Contact Unwanted Sexual Experiences
Sexual violence that does not include physical contact of a sexual nature between the perpetrator and the
victim. This occurs against a person without his or her consent, or against a person who is unable to consent or
refuse. Some acts of non-contact unwanted sexual experiences occur without the victim’s knowledge. This type
of sexual violence can occur in many different venues (e.g., school, workplace, in public, or through technology).
Non-contact unwanted sexual experiences include acts such as:
• Unwanted exposure to sexual situations – pornography, voyeurism, exhibitionism (this is not an
exhaustive list)
• Verbal or behavioral sexual harassment – making sexual comments, spreading sexual rumors, sending
unwanted sexually explicit photographs, or creating a sexually hostile climate, in person or through the
use of technology (this is not an exhaustive list)
• Threats of SV to accomplish some other end such as threatening to rape someone if he or she does not
give the perpetrator money; threatening to spread sexual rumors if the victim does not have sex with
them (this is not an exhaustive list)
• Unwanted filming, taking or disseminating photographs of a sexual nature of another person (this is not
an exhaustive list
The majority of sexual violence is committed by someone the
victim knows. They can include:
• Caregivers
• Classmates
• Family members
• Friends and neighbors
• Healthcare providers
• Members and leaders of faith communities
• Partners
• Teachers and coaches
The WHO defined sexual violence as acts through which a
woman or a man:
• was physically forced to have sexual intercourse when she/he did not want to
• had sexual intercourse when she did not want to, because she/he was afraid of what
her partner might do or
• was forced to do something sexual that she/he found degrading or humiliating.
RAINN.org
Sexual violence is any type of unwanted sexual contact. This can
include words and actions of a sexual nature.
Sexual violence can be committed without the knowledge of the person harmed.
Some forms of sexual violence may not be illegal, such as sexist and sexually violent jokes, street sexual harassment and catcalling but this does not make them any less threatening or
harmful to the person victimized. Read more in RAINN.
Some forms of sexual harassment include:
Making conditions of employment or advancement dependent on sexual favors, either explicitly or implicitly.
Physical acts of sexual assault.
Requests for sexual favors.
Verbal harassment of a sexual nature, including jokes referring to sexual acts or sexual orientation.
Unwanted touching or physical contact.
Unwelcome sexual advances.
Discussing sexual relations/stories/fantasies at work, school, or in other inappropriate places.
Feeling pressured to engage with someone sexually.
Exposing oneself or performing sexual acts on oneself.
Unwanted sexually explicit photos, emails, or text messages.
You can read more about the forms of sexual harassment here.
Forms of sexual assault
Some forms of sexual assault include:
Attempted rape
Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body
Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape.
Some forms of child sexual abuse include (but are not limited to):
Exhibitionism, or exposing oneself to a minor
Fondling
Intercourse
Masturbation in the presence of a minor or forcing the minor to masturbate
Obscene conversations, phone calls, text messages, or digital interaction
Producing, owning, or sharing pornographic images or movies of children
Sex of any kind with a minor, including vaginal, oral, or anal
Sex trafficking
Any other contact of a sexual nature that involves a minor.
You can read more about the forms of child sexual abuse here.
