What is sexual assault
The term sexual violence and abuse is a broad term that captures any sexual act or attempt to engage in a sexual act where consent is not obtained or freely given.
It includes any time a person is forced, coerced, or manipulated into any unwanted sexual activity (such as touching), sexual harassment and intimidation, forced marriage, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, being made to have sex with other people, sexual assault, and rape. Being forced to watch or engage in pornography and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images are also considered acts of sexual violence.
Sexual assault is both a consequence and a reinforcer of the power disparity existing largely between men, and women and children. It occurs within families and in multiple other settings and types of relationships.
Sexual assault is an abuse of power, and it is never the fault or responsibility of the victim survivor.
Examples of sexual assault
Examples of behaviour that may constitute sexual assaults include (but are not limited to):
- Stalking: Repeatedly being followed or watched by someone
- Rape: Being forced to have vaginal, anal or oral sex
- Unwanted touching: Pinching, patting, embracing, rubbing, groping, flicking, kissing, fondling, being touched on the breasts, bum, legs, etc
- Sexual harassment: Dirty jokes or rude comments about a person’s sex life
- Obscene gestures: Simulating masturbation in front of a person
- Voyeurism: Being watched doing intimate things without permission
- Unwanted sexual comments or jokes: Comments about a person’s body or relationships
- Sex-related insults: Calling someone a slut, dyke, homo, slag, etc
- Pressuring for dates or demand for sex: Invitations that turn into threats or not taking ‘no’ for an answer
- Indecent exposure: Someone showing private parts of their body or ‘flashing’ their genitals
- Being forced to watch or participate in pornography: Taking a photo without permission, forcing someone to be on video, making someone watch a pornographic movie
- Offensive written material: Dirty notes, letters, phone messages, emails, SMS, pictures
What causes sexual assault?
Sexual assault is both a consequence and a reinforcer of the power disparity existing largely between men, and women and children. It occurs within families and in multiple other settings and types of relationships.
Sexual assault statistics in Australia
12% (2.2 million) of Australians aged 15 and over have experienced sexual violence (Personal Safety Survey 2016).
1 in 20 (5.0% or 913,000) experienced sexual abuse before 15 (ABS 2017).
Sexual violence can occur anywhere, but most sexual assaults happen in a residential setting, often at home (AIHW 2019).
Read more sexual assault statistics in the factsheet published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in August 2022.
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