Varying degrees
Sexual Assault is an undesired advance of a sexual nature that results
in contact just short of rape. Some states associate sexual assault as
rape including just touching and/or fondling. Sexual abuse is also
known as molestation and is achieved by forcing an unwanted sexual act
on a person. This is classed just under sexual assault, which carries a
lesser penalty.
Rape, however, is when someone is forced into having sexual intercourse
including oral, vaginal and anal penetration and also applies with a
body part or an object. This is treated as the most serious type of
sexual assault and investigated as such.
Sexual harassment
Sexual Harassment in its truest form is unsought advances, verbal or
physical conduct in requesting sexual favors. Being sexually harassed
is usually the jump-off if you are going to be a victim of sexual
assault. The statistics say that this is the way predators begin the
onslaught if not stopped abruptly after the first encounter and result.
The staggering statistics
Experts say every 3 minutes a woman is raped in the United States.
Estimates show that of every rape only around 40% are reported to
police and some have these numbers even lower. In the future this is
going to become a real epidemic and anyone's silence only gives the
problem a stranglehold on our society and only lending credence to
those offenders that what they are doing is acceptable and can go on
with no repercussions.
No means no and... not saying yes
means no
Sexual Assault can occur by just not being able to give consent. So if
the victim is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, including
unconsciousness or sleeping, the perpetrator cannot legally claim that
consent was given. Being incoherent is commonly used as an excuse by
some as a defense of the accusations, their coherency or the accuser's.
A person must obtain consensual verbal responses and if unable must be
accepting of rejection or it will be classed as assault of a sexual
nature.
The word no, is not the only acceptable response needed to be given to
someone, especially for them to know that they should stop and not be
sexually assaulting someone. Circumstances and accusations of sexual
assault are no higher than any other crime in their falsity, which
means that the media's continuous effort to make celebrities
untouchable, through no fault of their own, has not subsided.
The numbers are staggering and sad, to say the least; it's a
psychologically painful issue and unfortunately a bigger one than most
want to believe. So speak up and know your state laws as they pertain
to sexual assault.