Introduction to ASAP
Key Terms & Definitions (Via SafeBAE)
Sexual Violence: Sexual harassment, assault and rape are all forms of sexual & interpersonal violence. Sexual violence is a crime typically motivated by the desire to control, humiliate, and/or harm — not by sexual desire. Sexual violence includes acts of:
Exposure, and voyeurism --the practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.
Rape within marriage or dating relationships
Incest (the crime of having sexual intercourse with a parent, child, sibling, or grandchild)
Rape by strangers or acquaintances
Unwanted sexual advances or sexual harassment (at school, work etc.)
Systematic rape, sexual slavery and other forms of violence, which are particularly common in Armed conflicts (e.g. forced impregnation)
Sexual abuse of mentally or physically disabled people
Rape and sexual abuse of children
Customary forms of sexual violence, such as forced marriage or cohabitation and wife inheritance
Sexual Harassment - unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other unwanted verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature. Includes verbal, nonverbal, physical, and cyber harassment.
Sexual Assault: Refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the person. Some forms of sexual assault include: attempted rape, fondling, unwanted sexual touching, or forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex, or penetrating a person’s body without their explicit consent.
Sexual assault is used as an overall term used for any kind of sexual violence. It can include groping, threats of sexual violence, blackmail, sexual bribes, revenge porn, coerced sex, any sexual contact with someone incapable of consenting, & forced rape.
Rape: a type of sexual violence involving non-consensual penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with ANY body part OR object, or oral penetration of another person’s sex organ without their consent. The law defines rape as sexual intercourse specifically. (Note: state laws differ about the specific details of what type of sex qualifies as rape vs sexual assault. See CA laws here.)
