If you have experienced sexual violence please know that the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Coordinator is available to listen, support, and help you navigate next steps in non-emergency situations. If you feel you are in danger, contact 911.
What is Sexual Violence?
Sexual violence is a broad term that describes any violence, physical or psychological, carried out through sexual means or by targeting sexuality. This violence takes different forms including sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, incest, childhood sexual abuse and rape during armed conflict. It also includes sexual harassment, stalking, indecent or sexualized exposure, degrading sexual imagery, voyeurism, cyber harassment, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Sexual assault is any type of unwanted sexual act done by one person to another that violates the sexual integrity of the victim. Sexual assault is characterized by a broad range of behaviours that involve the use of force, threats, or control towards a person, which makes that person feel uncomfortable, distressed, frightened, threatened, carried out in circumstances in which the person has not freely agreed, consented to, or is incapable of consenting to.
Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention directed at an individual by someone whose conduct or comments are, or should reasonably be known to be, offensive, inappropriate, intimidating, hostile, and unwelcome. Sexual harassment often occurs in environments in which sexist or homophobic jokes and materials have been allowed.
What is Consent?
The expressed, voluntary agreement to engage in the sexual activity with another individual or individuals.
- Someone who is incapacitated in any way (i.e., due to the use of drugs or alcohol, being asleep or unconscious, or a disability that prevents an individual in giving consent) cannot consent
- Past consent does not imply future consent
- Being in a relationship with an individual does not constitute consent
- Silence or an absence of resistance does not imply consent
- Consent to engage in sexual activity with one person does not imply consent to engage in sexual activity with another
- Consent can be withdrawn at any time
- Coercion, force, or threat of either invalidates consent
- Consent cannot be obtained if the accused abuses a position of trust, power, or authority
- Consent cannot be assumed by the accused based on impaired judgment
See the Glossary for more definitions.
Following an experience of sexual violence you can: go somewhere safe, seek out support and/or talk to someone you trust, and/or seek out medical care. Not all of these options may feel right to you, and you may decide that you do not want to do these things. It is normal and okay to not know what you would like to do, and to have many different feelings. Some people experience embarrassment, loneliness, anger, guilt, and/or anxiety. What happened was not your fault, and you are not responsible for someone else's actions, no matter what you were doing, wearing or where you were.
If you are unsure what to do, or need support in making that decision, you can contact the SVPEC in non emergency situations, or one of the helplines or agencies on the Support Services Page.