What is Sexual Violence?

Sexual violence is a broad term used to describe any sexual act that is perpetrated against someone’s will.

The terms below describe sexual violence and are all abusive and unhealthy in a relationship or outside of a relationship:*

A completed sex act:

Defined as non-consensual “contact between the penis and the vulva or the penis and the anus involving penetration” or “contact between the mouth and penis, vulva, or anus” or penetration of “the anal of genital opening of another person by a hand, finger, or other object.”

An attempted sex act:

Any of the above acts were attempted without consent, but not completed.

Abusive sexual contact:

Defined as “intentional touching […] of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh or buttocks” without consent. This includes direct contact or contact through clothing.

Non-contact sexual abuse:

Includes acts such as voyeurism, indecent exposure, unwanted exposure to pornography, sexual harassment, threats of sexual violence, or taking nude photographs of another person without consent.