Understanding Rape and Sexual Assault
Sexual assault can occur between people of different genders (sex), or of the same gender. Even if the person was your date, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, or someone you live with, they still need your consent. Recovering from sexual assault takes time, and how recovery happens will be different for everyone.
Sexual Assault Includes:
• Being forced to watch porn when you don’t want to.
• Being touched in a sexual manner against your will, regardless of where you were touched.
• Being prevented from using a condom or other protection during sex.
• Someone putting a penis, finger or object in your vagina, mouth or anus when you didn’t want them to.
Consent is a critical piece to sexual assault. It is important that everyone understands that -
CONSENT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN IF:
- You were pressured, intimidated or forced to do sexual things you didn’t want to do.
- You were incapacitated due to drugs or alcohol.
- You changed your mind about engaging in sexual activity.
Coercion in Rape and Sexual Assault
It is important to understand how coercion plays out in Sexual Assault. Coercion is being pressured or forced to do something sexual you did not want to do. Any sexual activity that involves coercion is sexual assault.
Some forms of coercion are:
- Use of threats (i.e., if you don’t do this, I’ll get you in trouble)
- Intimidation (with looks, gestures, or body language)
- Encouraging or forcing you to drink or do drugs
- Use of a weapon
- Underlying threat of violence if you don’t submit (i.e., if there’s been violence in the past)
- Not respecting someone saying “no” or “stop”
- Not asking, requiring an enthusiastic “yes” from both parties
- Making you feel like you owe the person sex
