Not all sex crimes and sexual assaults look the same. There are many types of sexual assault that a perpetrator can commit.  Some affect one demographic, or all people. All are life-changing, terrible acts.  When healing from a sexual crime, helping someone through the experience,  or when reporting one, it may help you to understand the different types of sex crimes that can happen in our society. 

Sexual Assault

This is where someone is forced to perform sexual acts or forced to have sexual acts performed on them.  It is a situation where consent is never given and received. Sexual assault can happen in any situation where a power dynamic is present (guard-prisoner), or date rape, for instance. 

Child Sexual Abuse

Also known as molestation, this is the act of touching a child or raping a child.  Children cannot consent so consent is irrelevant in this situation. Child rape or sexual assault often tend to be committed by close family friends, or even relatives of the child. 

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence

There is a misconception that rape cannot be perpetrated by someone in a consensual relationship.  However, consent must be provided each time someone has sex, regardless of the nature of the relationship.  Intimate partner violence is what results if someone forces their partner to have sex or do sex acts. 

Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

This type of sexual assault involves the victim being incapacitated by drugs or alcohol (often referred to as “roofied” or “spiked”), perhaps even passed out. In these situations, one cannot give consent and this is a crime. 

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment can come in many forms, like sexual jokes, sexual innuendos, constant attempts to date or have sex with someone.  The words someone uses can deeply affect the person they’re aimed at. And of course, sexual harassment can also be physical. 

Multi-perpetrator Sexual Assault (gang rape)

Multi-perpetrator sexual assault occurs when one person is touched, or raped by a group of people.  There is usually (but not always) physical violence, degradation, and verbal threats used during the assault. 

Stalking

Stalking is when someone is following, harassing, and constantly fixated on someone.  There are different motivations of stalkers, which you should be aware of. Cyberstaking also fits into this category.

Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is self-explanatory. It is when someone is abusing someone who is a senior.  The abuse is usually conducted by someone that the senior loves and trusts like a relative or a caregiver. 

Sexual Abuse of People With Disabilities

People with some disabilities that impair their judgment or ability to communicate can have difficulty providing consent.  When consent isn’t definitively given before sexual acts, this is assault. 

Prisoner Rape

Prisoner rape is also self-explanatory.  It is the act of someone raping someone who is incarcerated and can be committed by a guard or another prisoner. If a guard or prison official and an incarcerate have sexual relations, this is also considered to be rape due to the abuse of power dynamic. 

Sexual Abuse by Medical Professionals

This is when a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional commits assault on a patient.  This can happen during an examination or surgery and when the patient is awake or under anaesthesia. 

Military Sexual Assault

Assault in the military is unfortunately a common problem. This occurs when someone in the army is assaulted or raped by another soldier or a superior officer.  These assaults are usually under-reported due to a fear of being ostracized or fear of not being believed by the military. 

Statutory Rape

Statutory rape is when an adult has sex or does sex acts with a minor.  Regardless if the minor expressed consent, they cannot legally give it.  The laws vary in different states or provinces and there is usually an “age of consent”.  An example of statutory rape would be an adult dating a 13-year-old child. Regardless if the child is wanting to date the adult, this is still illegal since they are not of the age of consent.

Consent Is Paramount 

What you will notice is a common thread with these types of sexual assault is that legal consent is not given in any situation.  If someone says no, this means no and this includes all types of interaction such as kissing, hugging, or touching of any kind.  

Recently, the eye is on crimes of a sexual nature with protection being offered by vigilantes, and people taking the law into their own hands.  While we have all wished to do this at one time or another, it is important that you allow law enforcement to deal with the criminals to avoid any more issues.

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