Types of Sexual Violence

Sexual assault refers to any sexual contact or behavior that has occurred without consent. Some forms of sexual assault include:

• Attempted rape
• Fondling
• Forcing a victim through the use of physical pressure, emotional or psychological manipulation tactics, or threats to coerce a victim into performing non-consensual sexual acts
• Rape: sexual penetration of the victim’s body with any body part or object without consent; acquaintance/date rape (when the victim knows the perpetrator), blitz sexual assault (when a perpetrator sexually assaults a victim quickly and with no prior contact`), contact sexual assault (when a perpetrator comes into contact with the victim to lure them to a different location to sexually assault them), and home invasion sexual assault (when a stranger breaks into the victim's home to sexually assault them)

Sexual Assault | RAINN. www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-assault. 

Child sexual abuse refers to sexual activity with a minor, as a minor cannot consent to any form of sexual activity.  Some forms of child sexual abuse include:

• Exhibitionism
• Fondling
• Masturbation in the presence of / forcing the minor to masturbate
• Sexual conversations (in-person, phone/video calls, text messages, emails, or through social media)
• Producing, owning, or sharing pornographic images/movies of/with children
• Sex with a minor
• Sex trafficking

Child Sexual Abuse | RAINN. www.rainn.org/articles/child-sexual-abuse.  

Sexual abuse of an elderly person occurs when a perpetrator engages in any kind of sexual contact without the elderly person’s consent, if the elderly person is unable to give consent due to physical/mental health conditions, or when the relationship between the elderly person and perpetrator is based on an expectation of trust in which the elderly person relies on the perpetrator for their care, all of which causes harm or distress to an elderly person.

Elder Abuse | RAINN. www.rainn.org/articles/elder-abuse.

Sexual abuse of a person with a sensory, cognitive (developmental or intellectual), self-care, or ambulatory disability refers to when a perpetrator engages in any kind of sexual contact without the person’s consent, if the person is unable to communicate consent due to their disability, if the person with the disability has not been educated on the topic of sexuality and consent, or when the relationship between the person with the disability and perpetrator is based on an expectation of trust in which the person with the disability relies on the perpetrator for their care, all of which causes harm or distress to the person with a disability.

Sexual Abuse of People With Disabilities | RAINN. www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-abuse-people-disabilities.

Incest refers to any sexual contact / activity between familial relatives. 

Incest | RAINN. www.rainn.org/articles/incest. 

Drug-facilitated sexual assault refers to the use of alcohol or drugs to effect an individual's ability to consent to any form of / partake in sexual activity. Drug-facilitated sexual assault includes:

• Coercing someone to consume alcohol/drugs
• Initiating sexual contact with someone while they are intoxicated or under the influence of another substance
• Refusing to inform someone of how much alcohol is in their drink, the dosage / drug they are consuming, or dosing a person without their knowledge

Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault | RAINN. www.rainn.org/articles/drug-facilitated-sexual-assault.

Intimate Partner Sexual violence refers to unwanted sexual acts performed by one partner onto another within a romantic relationship which includes intimate partner rape and marital / spousal rape.

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence | RAINN. www.rainn.org/articles/intimate-partner-sexual-violence.

For information regarding the effects of sexual violence on LGBTQ Survivors, please go to RAINN's website listed below:

https://www.rainn.org/articles/lgbtq-survivors-sexual-violence  

For information regarding the effects of sexual violence on Male Survivors, please go to RAINN's website listed below:

https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-assault-men-and-boys

For information regarding the effects of childhood sexual violence on Adult Survivors, please go to RAINN's website listed below:

https://www.rainn.org/articles/adult-survivors-child-sexual-abuse

https://www.rainn.org/articles/your-role-preventing-sexual-assault

https://www.rainn.org/TALK

https://www.rainn.org/safety-parents

https://www.rainn.org/articles/how-can-i-protect-my-child-sexual-assault

https://www.rainn.org/news/grooming-know-warning-signs

https://www.rainn.org/safety-students