sexual assault

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page.

Criminal law

Part of the common law series

Elements

Actus reus · Mens rea Causation · Concurrence

Scope of Criminal Liability

Complicity · Corporate · Vicarious

Inchoate offenses

Attempt · Conspiracy · Solicitation

Crimes against persons

Assault · Battery False imprisonment · Kidnapping Mayhem · Sexual assault Homicide Crimes Murder · Felony murder Manslaughter Negligent homicide Vehicular homicide

Crimes against property

Arson · Blackmail · Burglary Embezzlement · Extortion False pretenses · Larceny Receiving stolen property Robbery · Theft

Crimes against justice

Compounding · Misprision Obstruction · Perjury Malfeasance in office Perverting the course of justice

Defenses to Liability

Defense of: (Self · Others · Property) Consent · Diminished capacity Duress · Entrapment · Ignorance Infancy · Insanity · Intoxication Justification · Mistake (Fact · Law) Necessity · Provocation

Other common law areas

Contracts · Evidence · Property Torts · Wills, trusts and estates

Portals

Criminal justice · Law

v • d • e

Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may be by a man on a man, woman on a man or woman on a woman.^[1] Approximately one in six American women will be a victim of a sexual assault in her lifetime.^[2] Largely because of child rape and an epidemic of prison rape approximately ten percent of all rapes are suffered by males.^[3]

While sexual assaults are associated with the crime of rape, it may cover assaults which would not be considered rape.^[4] What constitutes a sexual assault is determined by the laws of the jurisdiction where the assault takes place, which vary considerably, and are influenced by local social and cultural attitudes.

It has been said that sexual assault includes rape, forced vaginal, anal or oral penetration, forced sexual intercourse, inappropriate touching, forced kissing, child molestation, and the torture of the victim in a sexual manner.^[5]

Rape

Perpetrators of rape may include, but are not limited to, strangers, acquaintances, neighbors, superiors, legal entities (as in the case of torture), or family members. Abbey et al. state that female victims are much more likely to be assaulted by an acquaintance (such as a friend or co-worker), a dating partner, an ex-boyfriend or an intimate partner than by a complete stranger.^[6] In a study of hospital emergency room treatments for rape, Kaufman et al. state that the male victims as a group sustained more physical trauma, were more likely to have been a victim of multiple assaults from multiple assailants, and were more likely to have been held captive longer.^[7]

Studies have shown that the psychological damage is often particularly severe when sexual assault is committed by parents against children due to the incestuous nature of the assault.^[8] Incest between a child or adolescent and a related adult has been identified as the most widespread form of child sexual abuse with a huge capacity for damage to a child.^[8]

See also

• Medical emergency
• R v Collins
• Sexual assault in the U.S. military
• Tailhook scandal
• 2003 U.S. Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal
• Angela Rose
• WomensLaw.org

References

Further reading

• Wishart, G.D. (2003). "The Sexual Abuse of People with Learning Difficulties: Do We Need A Social Model Approach To Vulnerability?", Journal of Adult Protection, Volume 5 (Issue 3).

External links

National organizations

• Crimestoppers is a crime-fighting charity who you can pass on information about crime anonymusly to
• PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment
• Angela Rose
• MenCanStopRape.org
• Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, the United States' largest anti-sexual assault organization.
• Sexual Assault Care Centre Scarborough, An extensive resource for victims/survivors of sexual assault.
• The Awareness Center, Inc. (Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault)
• The Victim Rights Law Center (The National Pioneer of Legal Services to Victims of Sexual Assault)
• FaithTrust Institute

Support and healing organizations

• After Silence, online support group and forums and chat room for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and their supporters.
• Pandora's Aquarium, an online support group, message board, and chat room for sexual assault survivors and their supporters.
• Support for Victims and Their Family, Support for Victims and Their Family
• Healing Through Creativity an organization that holds a creativity event each year in WV and has an online support message board and chat room
• National Sexual Assault Hotlines, provide help by phone and online. Both are free, safe and confidential and operated by RAINN.
• False Accusations of Sexual Abuse Support resources and first-hand reports.
• Ekuus Foundation - Therapy Resort with horses, for sexually abused victims Ekuus was created with intent to advance psychological recovery of those who suffer from the trauma caused by sexual abuse.

Research and information

• Sexual Assault Care Centre Scarborough - An extensive resource for victims/survivors of rape/sexual assault
• Award Winning Documentary on Sexual Assault and Healing
• Rape Crisis Information Pathfinder- research on sexual assault
• U.S. Army Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Program
• Sexual Assault Statistics
• RAINN statistics on sexual assault
• NOW statistics on violence against women