Sexual abuse refers to any non-consensual sexual act or behavior, including but not limited to:

  1. Rape: Forced sexual intercourse or penetration of any kind.
  2. Sexual Assault: Any unwanted sexual contact, including fondling, touching, or kissing.
  3. Child Sexual Abuse: Sexual acts or behavior involving a child, including fondling, exposure, and exploitation.
  4. Sexual Harassment: Unwanted sexual advances, comments, or physical contact.
  5. Sexual Exploitation: Taking advantage of someone for sexual purposes, including prostitution and human trafficking.
  6. Incest: Sexual abuse that occurs within a family, including sexual contact between siblings or between a parent and child.
  7. Sexual Discrimination: Treating someone differently based on their gender or sexual orientation, including denying someone employment or education opportunities because of their gender or sexual orientation.

Sexual abuse can have serious and long-lasting consequences for the victim, including physical injuries, emotional trauma, and psychological distress. If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, it is important to seek support from trusted friends, family members, or a professional organization that can help you with the healing process.

If someone makes a sexual advance to you that is unwanted than this is known as sexual abuse. If that person applies force then it becomes sexual assault.

There are different categories of sexual assault, these are:

Contact Abuse: This involves physical contact between the abuser and the victim. This can include the unwanted sexual touch of somebody’s body, even if they are fully dressed.

  • Penetration or rape which is the act of putting a sex organ or other object in another person’s vagina, anus or mouth.
  • Using force to make another person take part in a sex act.
  • Forcing someone to undress.

Non Contact Abuse: This does not require any physical touching to take place but does include the exploitation or grooming of a person. Non contact abuse can include

  • Insisting that an individual listens to, or observes sexual acts.
  • Insisting that an individual views pornography.

Don’t forget that sexual assault and sexual abuse do not discriminate between ages or genders, it can happen to anybody. The majority of victims are females and minors but men who have been victims of abuse are equally entitled to claim compensation. That compensation can be payable for both psychological and physical injury.