Sexual assault can take many different forms, but one thing remains the same, it is
never the victim's fault.
Sexual Assault is a crime of power and control. The term "sexual assault" refers to
sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent. Some forms of sexual
assault include:
- Penetration of the victim's body, also known as rape
- Attempted rape
- Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex
- Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
Rape is a form of sexual assault, but not all sexual assault is rape. The term rape
is often used as a legal definition to specifically include sexual penetration without
consent. Force doesn't always refer to physical pressure. Perpetrators may use emotional
coercion, psychological force, or manipulation to coerce a victim into non-consensual
sex. Some perpetrators will use threats to force a victim to comply, such as threatening
to hurt the victim or their family or other tactics.
The majority of perpetrators are someone known to the victim. Approximately 4 out
of 5 sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim, such as in the
case of intimate partner sexual violence or acquaintance rape.