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;

Childhood sexual abuse and incest
Teen dating violence
Intimate partner sexual violence
Elder sexual abuse
Sexual harassment eg unwanted sexual comments or jokes, touching, pinching, patting
Unwanted sexual texts, photos, emails, posts and/or messages
Being forced to watch or look at pornography or re-enact sexual scenes from porn
Image-based abuse (or revenge porn) and having intimate photos shared without consent
Any sexual activity when someone can't consent because they are drunk, out of it, unconscious or asleep
Any sexual activity that a person can't consent to because they do not understand what they are agreeing to
Being pressured, coerced, blackmailed, or tricked into sexual activity
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.