Defining Sexual Violence

This is when a person intentionally touches another person, the touching is sexual, and they do not have the consent of the person they are touching. This can include sexual contact with someone who has not provided consent, attempted rape, sexual coercion and unwanted, inappropriate touching above or under clothes.

Rape occurs when a person intentionally penetrates another’s vagina, anus or mouth with their penis without the consent of the person being penetrated.

This is when a person penetrates another person’s vagina or anus with any other part of the body other than a penis, or by using an object, without the person’s consent.

This occurs when someone behaves in a way which makes you feel distressed, humiliated or threatened. It could be someone you know or it could be a stranger. Examples include unwanted phone calls, letters, emails or visits, abuse and bullying online, verbal abuse and threats and stalking.

This is harassment that is of a sexual nature which violates someone’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Examples include sending someone unwanted texts (known often as sexts), unwanted phone calls, letters, email of a sexual nature and verbal abuse and threats of a sexual nature.

This is the sharing of private, sexual materials (either photos, videos or audio clips) of another person without their consent and with the purpose of causing them embarrassment or distress. This applies to both online and offline including uploading content to the internet, sharing by text and email or showing someone a physical or electronic version.

This is where a condom is removed without the other person’s knowledge or consent. Also known as non-consensual condom removal.

This is when someone watches and/or records private sexual acts without consent.

This is when a person intentionally exposes their genitals, and intends that someone will see them without having given their consent and be caused alarm or distress.

This is where one or both people do not consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used to force them into the marriage. Those who lack capacity, cannot consent.

An incident or crime that which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the ‘honour’ of the family or the community. ‘Honour” can be the motivation, excuse or justification behind a range of violent acts against women and girls. This could include domestic violence, threats to kill, pressure to go or move abroad and denying access to telephone, internet, passports/key documents.