What is Sexual Assault ?

Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act. This includes a range of unwanted or forced sexual behaviour including rape.

Perpetrators of sexual assault use power, force and manipulation to attempt to control the body sensed and emotions of their victims.

Sexual Assault is a crime.

It is an act of violence. It is not about love and affection. Sexual assault and/or rape include when someone:

• forces you to participate in, or watch pornography,

• forces, manipulates or coerces you into having sexual intercourse, or

• shows you any unwanted sexual attention that makes you feel uncomfortable or scared.

Sexual Harassment is any form of unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited sexual behaviour, which is or might be offensive, humiliation, intimidating or embarrassing. Sexual harassment takes many forms, including wolf whistles, leering, sexual innuendo, comments or other unwanted sexual attention.

Rape/sexual assault is defined as penetration of the vagina or anus with the penis, other body part or foreign object without consent. It also includes forced oral sex.

Ritual abuse or R.A. -organised and systematic violence including physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual and sexual abuse.  Specific rituals take place in a cycle of annual dates. Victim’s birthdays, religious and other holidays, and full moons are common, though groups widely differ. There is little discrepancy, however, in the horror and pain inflicted.

Perpetrators seek total power and control over children and captive adults. Drugs, trickery, dissociation, programming, ritual work and torture, - are used by abusers to confuse, terrorise and control women and children. 

Abuse, often features traumatic elements that seem “bizarre”. This is deliberately done for a number of reasons; to make survivors doubt their memories; question their sanity and to generate scepticism or outright rejection of R.A. The more crazy or unreal it seems, the less likely we, as survivors are to believe these things happened to us and the more likely perpetrators are to be undetected.

Marriage/Defacto rape is when a regular partner pressures or forces their partner into having sex. This is still rape, even though the other person is a spouse or regular sex partner.

Date/Acquaintance rape. Date rape is when a person you are dating sexually assaults you. You may be in an ongoing relationship, or it may be someone you have dated only once or twice. Acquaintance rape is when a friend or someone you have met, but don't know very well, sexually assaults you. 

Child sexual assault is any act of a sexual nature towards a child by someone older than the child or in a position of power.

Incest is sexual assault by a family member. This may be a parent, sibling, step-parent, uncle or any other family member.

Consent.  
Consenting to any sexual act depends on a person's ability to understand what the sexual act is, the implications of the sexual behaviour, and on their ability to make an informed choice, without force, manipulation or coercion, about whether or not they want the sexual act to occur.

The age of consent for most sexual activity in Tasmania is 17 years of age.

Children do not have the ability to consent to any sexual act, as they do not understand the implications of a sexual relationship.

A persons ability to consent regardless of the relationship, is dependent on a number of factors including their level of cognitive ability and whether they are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or prescribed medication.

Sexual assault occurs when someone commits a sexual act with or towards another person without their consent.

Sometimes people agree to a sexual act because they are frightened - this is not consent.

Sexual assault of children is damaging; the effects of being sexually assaulted can last a lifetime.

There are many myths surrounding sexual assault. These myths serve to deny the reality of sexual assault, diminish the effects of sexual assault, blame the victims, and protect the offender by implying that they are not responsible for their abusive actions or behaviours.

Who does sexual assault happen to? 
Sexual assault can happen to anyone. It happens to babies, children, adolescents, adults, males and females, young and old. It also happens to people from varying cultural backgrounds and religions, not subject to ability, and regardless of sexual orientation.

Who are the perpetrators?  
Perpetrators can be known (eg friends, family) or unknown; persons of any age. Perpetrators of sexual assault include both men and women .