1.6 Defining Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is any sexual activity without a person’s consent and involves a range of behaviors, from non-touching to touching.

Try to think about sexual violence as a spectrum rather than a ranking, to avoid unintentionally evaluating the severity of the sexual violence, as this invalidates the survivor’s experience and feelings.

Sexual violence includes:

1. A completed sex act—also called rape—defined as non-consensual penetration (no matter how slight) of the vagina or anus with any object or body part or non-consensual oral penetration by the sex organ of an other person;

2. An attempted (but not completed) sex act;

3. Abusive sexual contact, including intentional, non-consensual touching (directly or through the clothing) of the genitals, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh or buttocks of any person including if that person is unable to consent or refuse; and

4. Non-contact sexual abuse, which includes voyeurism, exhibitionism, unwanted exposure to pornography, sexual harassment, threats of sexual violence or taking nude photos without one’s consent including if that person is unable to consent or refuse.