WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE?
Sexual violence is an umbrella term that covers a broad range of sexual behaviours, language or activities that are unwanted and happen without consent. It can make a person feel uncomfortable, frightened, threatened or even numb.
Sexual violence can happen to anyone, with most sexual violence being perpetrated by someone the victim knows and trusts, for example, a partner, friend, work colleague, family member or acquaintance.
Sexual violence includes a whole range of behaviours and experiences that occur throughout a person's lifetime, including;
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Childhood sexual abuse and incest
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Teen dating violence
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Intimate partner sexual violence
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Elder sexual abuse
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Sexual harassment eg unwanted sexual comments or jokes, touching, pinching, patting
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Unwanted sexual texts, photos, emails, posts and/or messages
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Being forced to watch or look at pornography or re-enact sexual scenes from porn
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Image-based abuse (or revenge porn) and having intimate photos shared without consent
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Any sexual activity when someone can't consent because they are drunk, out of it, unconscious or asleep
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Any sexual activity that a person can't consent to because they do not understand what they are agreeing to
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Being pressured, coerced, blackmailed, or tricked into sexual activity
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When someone with more power than you eg. a teacher or boss, misuses that power to engage in sexual behaviours with you
Sexual violence is any unwanted act of a sexual nature that may or may not involve physical touch and can be experienced offline as well as online.
