{"id":12636,"date":"2023-04-05T20:46:38","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T20:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/what-is-considered-sexual-assault\/"},"modified":"2023-04-05T20:46:38","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T20:46:38","slug":"what-is-considered-sexual-assault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/what-is-considered-sexual-assault\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Considered Sexual Assault?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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April is <\/em>Sexual Assault Awareness Month<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n I was a carefree 11-year-old walking down the street when a man approached me, swiftly grabbing my breast before running off. While I didn\u2019t have the words for it then, it was sexual assault, and it wouldn\u2019t be my only experience. There was the time when a man on a crowded subway pushed his erect penis onto my thigh. Then there was the time I was walking to work and a man came up behind me on a bike and grabbed my butt so hard that the pain (not to mention the violation) left me in tears.<\/p>\n Experiences like this are alarmingly common.<\/p>\n Every 68 seconds, a person is sexually assaulted in America \u2014 and more than half of all women experience some form of physical sexual violence in their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But what is considered sexual assault and what steps do you need to take if it\u2019s happened to you? Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n What does sexual assault mean?<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n Simply put, sexual assault is any type of sexual contact that happens without the person consenting, or agreeing, to the sexual activity. This includes situations when the person can\u2019t consent, which includes anyone who is underage, intellectually disabled, passed out, high or drunk.<\/p>\n People often think of sexual assault as rape, but there are many other types of sexual assault, including incidents that don\u2019t involve physical touch, such as someone sharing sexually explicit photos or \u201cflashing\u201d \u2014 exposing their genitals.<\/p>\n Physical types of sexual assault can range from touching or fondling over or under clothing to rape. What is always the same is that the person who is committing the assault is crossing a boundary and forcing a sexual action that is unwanted on someone else.<\/p>\n Sexual assault is an extremely underreported crime that can happen to anyone, but women and transgender people are overwhelmingly the targets. Nine out of 10 victims are women, and some reports suggest that half of all trangender people experience some form of sexual assault or abuse.\n<\/p><\/div>\n Types of sexual assault<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n What is the meaning of consent?<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n Whether an act is considered sexual assault hinges on consent. While the legal meaning of consent varies by state and situation, it boils down to the people involved actively and knowingly agreeing to a sexual encounter.<\/p>\n Consent can be reversible, which means it\u2019s OK to change your mind if you agreed earlier. Consent isn\u2019t granted by circumstances, such as how you\u2019re dressed, how many sexual partners you\u2019ve had or whether you\u2019ve previously had sex with the same partner. Physiological responses such as arousal or even having an orgasm don\u2019t mean you have consented. <\/p>\n Sex can be nonconsensual even if you don\u2019t expressly say \u201cno,\u201d especially if you\u2019re disengaged or showing that you\u2019re uncomfortable or upset. <\/p>\n The best course of action to ensure consent is to both ask about your partner\u2019s boundaries and be specific about your own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What to do if you\u2019ve been sexually assaulted<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n Working with a therapist, calling a rape crisis hotline, talking to a trusted friend and journaling can help you process what happened.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what happened to you, it wasn\u2019t your fault \u2014 you did not give permission,\u201d Shershun said. \u201cYour body did what it had to do to help you survive. It\u2019s never too late for you to heal. With the right tools and support, healing is always possible. You are not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of sexual assault, contact the <\/em>National Sexual Assault Hotline<\/em> at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or the <\/em>National Domestic Violence Hotline<\/em>\n
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<\/em>at 800-799-SAFE (7233).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n