What is sexual violence?

Sexual violence is any form of unwanted or forced sexual behaviour or act toward another, regardless of age or gender, that occurs without consent.

Sexual violence includes penetrative and non-penetrative acts including sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape.

Sexual violence can include:

  • Stalking: being followed or watched again and again.
  • Rape: being forced to have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
  • Unwanted touching: pinching, patting, hugging, rubbing, groping, kissing, or touching someone’s body (like their breasts, bottom, or legs) without consent.
  • Sexual harassment: dirty jokes or rude comments about someone’s sex life.
  • Obscene gestures: doing sexual actions in front of someone, like pretending to masturbate.
  • Voyeurism: watching someone doing private or intimate things without their permission.
  • Unwanted sexual comments or jokes: comments about someone’s body or relationships.
  • Sex-related insults: calling someone names like “slut,” “dyke,” or “homo.”
  • Pressuring someone for dates or sex: not accepting “no,” or using threats.
  • Indecent exposure: showing private body parts (“flashing”) to someone.
  • Forcing someone to watch or take part in porn: taking sexual photos or videos without permission, or making someone watch porn.
  • Offensive written material: dirty notes, letters, messages, pictures, or emails.
  • Incest or child sexual abuse within the family: when a family member, like a father or brother, has sexual contact with a child or young person.
  • Child sexual abuse by someone outside the family: like a friend, teacher, or coach.
  • Unwanted sexual messages or communication through phones, social media, or email.
  • Sharing sexual images without consent.

The terms sexual violence, sexual assault, and sexual abuse are often used to mean the same thing.

Support

If you have recently experienced sexual violence, we encourage you to ensure you are in a safe place and seek medical attention (whether at hospital or a doctor's clinic). It is important to remember that it is never your fault and that you have the right to feel safe. The QSAN services will be able to support you.

What is consent?

A person consents to sexual activity if they do it actively, freely, voluntarily and consciously without being pressured into it. Consent is always clearly communicated.

There are laws around when people can consent to sexual activity and when they can't consent. In Queensland, the legal age to give consent is 16 years. Therefore, any child or young person under that age can NOT give consent.

Consent is:

  • Mutual
  • Freely given
  • Informed
  • Clearly communicated
  • Enthusiastic
  • Reversible
  • Specific