Sexual assault (SA) is an act of sexual abuse in which one person intentionally 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. It is a form of sexual violence that includes child sexual abuse, groping (forcing unsolicited, sexualized touching onto another person), rape (forced sexual penetration, no matter how slight), forced kissing, drug facilitated sexual assault, or the torture of the person in a sexual manner often with nudity as a precursor.
Definition Generally, sexual assault is defined as unwanted sexual contact. The National Center for Victims of Crime states:
Sexual assault takes many forms including attacks such as rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Usually a sexual assault occurs when someone touches any part of another person's body in a sexual way, even through clothes, without that person's consent. In the United States, the definition of sexual assault varies widely among the individual states. However, in most states sexual assault occurs when there is lack of consent from one of the individuals involved. Consent must take place between two adults who are not incapacitated and consent may change, by being withdrawn, at any time during the sexual act. Sexual assault can be defined as violation of consent according to standards of substantive equality or formal equality.
Types
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities (regardless of the outcome), actual sexual contact against a child, physical contact with the child's genitals, or using a child to produce child pornography, including live streaming sexual abuse. The effects of child sexual abuse include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, propensity to re-victimization in adulthood, physical injury to the child, and increased risk for future interpersonal violence perpetration among males, among other problems. Sexual assault among teenagers has been shown to lead to worse school performance, an increase in mental health problems, and social exclusion. Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest. It is more common than other forms of sexual assault on a child and can result in more serious and long-term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest. Approximately 15 to 25 percent of women and 5 to 15 percent of men were sexually abused when they were children. Most sexual abuse offenders are acquainted with their victims. Approximately 30 percent of the perpetrators are relatives of the child – most often brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts or cousins. Around 60 percent are other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters, or neighbors. Strangers are the offenders in approximately 10 percent of child sexual abuse cases. Studies have shown that the psychological damage is particularly severe when sexual assault is committed by parents against children due to the incestuous nature of the assault. Incest between a child and a related adult has been identified as the most widespread form of child sexual abuse with a huge capacity for damage to a child. Often, sexual assault on a child is not reported by the child for several of the following reasons:
children are too young to recognize their victimization or put it into words they were threatened or bribed by the abuser they feel confused by fearing the abuser they are afraid no one will believe them they blame themselves or believe the abuse is a punishment they feel guilty for consequences to the perpetrator In addition, many states have criminalized sexual contact between teachers or school administrators and students, even if the student is over the age of consent.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence is violence or other abuse by one person against another in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. It is strongly correlated with sexual assault. Not only can domestic abuse be emotional, physical, psychological and financial, but it can be sexual. Some of the signs of sexual abuse are similar to those of domestic violence.
Elderly sexual assault
About 30 percent of people age 65 or older who are sexually assaulted in the U.S. report it to the police. Assailants may include strangers, caretakers, adult children, spouses and fellow facility residents, although perpetrators of elder sexual assault are less likely to be related to the victim than perpetrators of other types of elder abuse.
Groping
Groping is a type of sexual assault with the touching or fondling of another person in a sexual way without the person's consent. Groping may occur under or over clothing.
Rape
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