Home     Mission Statement     Reporting a Rape     Feelings of Survivors   Annual Report 

                   Helping a Friend     If I Went to the Centre     Contact Us     Computer Privacy    

                   Donations        16 Days of Action    Child Sexual Abuse      Sexual Abuse   2006 Statistics

                                                                                       Sexual Abuse

What do we mean by Sexual Abuse?

SEXUAL ABUSE includes all forms of unwanted, forced sexual attention, rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and incest.

SEXUAL ASSAULT occurs if you are forced to participate in a sexual act without your consent. It may include rape or other types of sexual assault. The force involved may take the form of threats, coercion or physical violence. Sexual assault is an act of violence. It is an invasion of your physical and personal integrity. Research shows that the primary motivating factor in sexual assault is to meet non-sexual gratification. For the victim sexual assault is almost always experienced as a life-threatening event.

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE (CSA) occurs when an adult uses his or her power or authority to force or persuade a child to take part in sexual activities. A child is never in a position to make a valid choice about appropriate sexual acts. Sexual abuse may range from fondling or petting to full vaginal or anal intercourse. It may include kissing, oral sex and/or non-penetrative “dry sex”. It may a single incident or events, which occur over a number of years. It may include being forced to pose for photographs and/or watch pornographic movies.

INCEST refers to sexual abuse by a family member. The abuser may be a brother, father, grandfather, uncle, godfather, mother, sister, aunt or family member through marriage such as brother-in-law or father-in-law.

SEXUAL ABUSE WITHIN MARRIAGE: Since 1991 a married woman may charge her husband with a sexual offence. Rape and sexual abuse within marriage may or may not be accompanied by domestic violence.

The Meaning of Sexual Abuse.

The following indicates the range of sexually abusive behaviour and activities that are perpetrated on victims. It does not make easy reading, but it is important to understand what might be involved when someone says they have been sexually abused. This information will help you anticipate disclosures and to become more accepting of information which is extremely difficult to describe and equally difficult to share.

CONTEXT OF THE ABUSE.

sexual abuse can take place:

·        in everyday situations such as bath-time or bedtime.

·        always in the same location, e.g. the victims bed, abuser’s bed, on a chair in the living room.

·        at the same time of the day or week.

·        with or without being clothed.

·        as part of a wider range of physical or sadistic abuse.

·        in a “special” place away from the victim’s home.

·        in a fleeting way as the victim and adviser come physically close to each other e.g. passing on the stairs, in the swimming pool.

·        possibly to maximise the victims guilt.

·        it can take place in the parent’s bed or in front of others.

·        in a context where the victim is rewarded by money or presents.

SEXUAL ABUSE

a continuum of abuse:

·        the abuser watches the victim in an intrusive or sexual way as she/he has a bath, goes to the toilet or gets dressed and undressed.

·        the abuser exposes his penis to the victim,

·        the abuser persuades or demands the victim to undress and expose their genitals to him/her.

·        the abuser has the victim in such a position as to cause him to have an erection.

·        the abuser masturbates in front of the victim.

·        the victim is told to masturbate.

·        the victim is told to masturbate the abuser.

·        the abuser fondles the victim, touching in a gentle stroking manner, may involve the entire body, or focussing on certain parts.

·        the abuser fondles the victim in a painful and rough way.

·        the victim is forced to kiss the abuser on the mouth, often in an overtly sexual way.

·        the abuser rubs his penis against the victim’s body.

·        the abuser places his penis in the victim’s mouth.

·        the abuser ejaculates in the victim’s mouth.

·        the abuser uses mouth and tongue to stimulate the victim in the genital area.

·        the abuser ejaculates over the victim’s body and face.

·        the abuser ejaculates on the victim or himself and forces the victim to lick up his semen.

·        the abuser penetrates the victims body with his penis in the *vagina * anal opening * urethra.

·        the abuser uses everyday objects to penetrate the victim.

·        the abuser uses gynaecological objects e.g., vibrator, dilator, to penetrate the victim.

·        the abuser uses weapons or dangerous objects e.g. gun, sword, glass bottle, broken glass, knife to penetrate the victim.

·        the abuser involves the victim in sexual games e.g. strip poker.

·        the abuser deliberately/accidentally induces sexual arousal and orgasm in the victim.

·        the victim is made pregnant by the abuser.

INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER IN THE ABUSE.

·        the victim is forced to watch the abuser having sexual contact with someone else.

·        the victim is forced to watch the abuser sexually abusing another person.

·        the victim is forced to be involved in sexual activities with another victim.

·        the victim is offered for sexual purposes by the abuser to friends and relatives.

·        as above, but the friends and relatives sexually abuse the victim.

·        as above, but for money, gifts or other inducements.

·        the victim is forced to become a prostitute.

·        the victim is forced to be part of a sex ring.

·        the victim is forced to be involved in pornographic activities.

·        the victim is forced to watch the abuser being involved in sexual activity with an animal.

·        the victim is forced to be involved in sexual activity with animals.

·        the victim is forced to take part in ritualistic abuse.

RELATED ABUSIVE ACTIVITIES.

·        the victim is forced to agree to sexual activity.

·        the victim is forced to ask the abuser to involve him/her in a particular sexual activity.

·        the victim is told to repeat after the abuser the sexual activities intended to take place.

·        the victim is told to write a letter to the abuser asking him/her to be involved in certain types of sexual activity.

·        the victim is forced/expected to say that she/he enjoyed the sexual activity.

·        the victim is expected to interpret the abuser’s verbal and non-verbal signals that she/he wishes sexual activity to occur e.g. a look at the clock, certain gestures or verbal instructions that always precede the abuse.

·        the victim is verbally abused e.g. “Your body is like…”

·        the victim is verbally humiliated in front of other.

Someone who is being subjected to sexual abuse may also experience physical abuse. Physical abuse can be used as a means of keeping the victim silent. There are also other forms of abuse that often accompany sexual abuse. They are sadistic or cruel in nature or encompass neglect.