Types of Sexual Assault

Sexual violence can come in many forms. In order to better understand the wide range of violence that can occur, we have included definitions of different types of rape and sexual violence, as well as other kinds of violence that often arise hand-in-hand with sexual violence. Click on the title below to read more about each type of sexual violence.

 

Sexual Assault: The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim.

 

Sexual Abuse of Men and Boys: Men and boys who have been sexually assaulted or abused may face additional challenges because of social attitudes and stereotypes about men and masculinity.

 

Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment includes the verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that affects an individual’s work or school performance.

 

Child Sexual Abuse: Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse that includes sexual activity with a minor. A child cannot consent to any form of sexual activity, period.

 

Incest: If you’ve experienced sexual abuse by a family member you are not alone — and what happened to you is not your fault.​

 

Intimate Partner Violence: A perpetrator can have any relationship to a victim, and that includes the role of an intimate partner.

 

(Information from Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) website https://rainn.org/)

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Helpful Links: ​

• Safety Plan Toolkit