What Type Of Crime Is Sexual Abuse? - Community Watch Paper

The term sexual abuse is something most people feel uncomfortable talking about openly. Sexual abuse is the most miserable part of society. It is any form of sexual violence, such as rape, incest, child abuse or molestation, or sexual contact.

Sexual abuse is a crime in any form as it impacts long-term mental and physical impact on the victims’ lives. A person who experienced sexual abuse should report the sexual assault by calling the local police.

You can get information about different terms used for sexual abuse and different types of sexual abuse in the below sections.

Sexual Assault vs. Sexual Abuse:

Both terms, Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse, are interchangeably used for heinous sex crimes. KMD law explains and spreads the awareness of what it means when a victim is sexually assaulted or sexually abused.

What is Sexual Assault?

Sexual assault includes different forms of sexual violence like inappropriate or unwanted sexual acts or acts related to coercing a person to engage in them.

It can also be defined as sexual assault as sexual behavior or contact that occurred without the explicit consent of the victim.

Sexual assault includes rape, incest, child abuse, or molestation. However, one thing not all forms of sexual assault will be considered rape. Many other forms of Sexual assault are there.

Unwanted sexual touching/Fondling
Attempted rape
Victims perform a sexual act on force
Rape (forced victim for oral sex or penetration)

Regardless of the type of sexual assault can be traumatic and damaging. Studies show that, sadly, victims often know the perpetrators, and 7 out of 10 sexual cases of abuse happened to someone who knows the perpetrators, such as an intimate partner or acquaintance.

What is Sexual Abuse?

Sexual abuse refers to any sexual violence often associated with child victims. Domestic violence includes emotional, physical, or sexual harm by a current or former intimate partner.

Sexual abuse is often an attempt to gain power over others despite the sex. It does not include the physical, sexual contact between the abuser and the victim. Cognitive therapy can be useful for those who experienced sexual abuse in the past.

Here is the list of child sexual abuses types:

Sharing abusive pornographic materials with the child
Exposing oneself in front of the minor
Inappropriate sexual touching/Fondling
Sex with a little (Oral, Vaginal, or anal)

Children’s especially girls, are at most risk of sexual abuse. Many other groups like the disabled or the elderly living in nursing homes may also be at risk.

Teenage Sexual Abuse:

Teenage sexual abuse or child molestation is any form of sexual activity with a teenage child. Most of the children molested are too young and cannot consent to sexual activity. They don’t know what is happing and around them and cannot fight back. Teenage sexual abuse is a crime.

Here two main types of child sexual abuse are touching and non-touching. The contact might not have to be physical. It would be a text message, online chats, and other digital interaction. There are many different non-touching ways to sexually abuse a child area.

Exposing a person’s genitals to a child
Showing pornography to a child
Photographing a child in sexual poses
Prostituting/trafficking a child
Force a child to watch pornography
Protecting a child undress or use the bathroom

Studies report that more than 90% of teenage abuse victims know the abuser very well. They might be a family member, coaches, teachers, medical provider, or their friends’ parents. No matter who the abuser is, teenage sexual abuse is a crime.

Teenage sexual abuses are very much ashamed and severe for a teenage child’s mental and physical health.

Touching a child’s genitals
Making a child touch someone else’s genitals
Paying sexual games
Putt body parts inside the vulva or vagina

Teenage Sexual Abuse Statistics Or Facts:

Undoubtedly upsetting facts show that teenagers who are victims majority know the perpetrator.

67% identified as their family members
79% identified said that they were living with that perpetrator

Most abusers use the teenager’s cooperation as “evidence” that no one was harmed in these cases. Teenage sexual abuse is common, particularly for girls. 905 of all rapes are committed against women.

Some statistics are here which child protective services show

Almost 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 13 boys experiences sexual abuse at some point in their childhood.
Unfortunately, over 65,000 teenagers are abused in the United States each year.
Limited social supports families or Single-parent homes may be more vulnerable to sexual predators
Who struggle with substance abuse may end up perpetuating a cycle of abuse
Teenage sexual abuse can have many long-term impacts on physical and mental health also the reason for unplanned pregnancies

Sexual Abuse In Relationships:

A relationship is very important to a person in this world. Our experiences equate romantic relationships with consent, which leads to the misconception that sexual abuse never happens between individuals in relationships and marriages.

In the past two decades, reports show how Sexual abuse in relationships outcomes women, including HIV, AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, and serious injury.

This type of violence is termed intimate partner violence. The IPV includes physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological harm by a current or former partner. The act of violence in an intimate relationship is an isolated incident and not related to any gender or sexual orientation.

Sadly the sexual abuse in relationships is not reported or often hidden from plain sight. Firstly to maintain the power and control in the relationship and protect the stability of their children, secondly the post abuse apologies and promises that will never happen again and something like this.

Common Examples Of Sexual Abuse In A Relationship:

Here we mention some common examples of sexual abuse in a Relationship

Engage someone in sexual activity without consent, like unwanted kissing or rubbing
Forcing to watch pornography
Rape
Use sex-related insults (e.g., “slut”)
Putt sexual comments, suggestions, advances, or threats to another person
Take sexual photos or videos without consent
During sexual activities, aggressive behavior without consent
Forcing someone to have unsafe sex

Aggravated Sexual Abuse:

Aggravated sexual abuse is a more serious matter form of the crime of rape or sexual assault. The term “aggravated” is applied because the circumstances of the injury are considered “aggravated.”

That is a more serious crime than sexual assault or rape without aggravating circumstances, so it charges 20 and even 25 years in some states.

The types of circumstances that distinguish aggravated sexual assault from non-aggravated vary from state to state.

The victim’s age is under 14 years
The perpetrator is older than the victim, at least 10 years
The victim is violent in a way that causes severe bodily injury
The assault or abuse is carried out with the help of another person
A deadly or dangerous weapon involved in the abuse crime
The perpetrator has a history of such crime in his early life
A victim gets pregnant at the time of the aggravated sexual abuse

Impact Of Sexual Abuse On The Victim:

A victim of sexual abuse can face any of the following issues:

Physical:

A person assaulted in sexual trauma may sustain physical injuries like cuts, broken bones, and damaged genitals.

These traumatic experiences have also been associated with an increased risk of chronic health conditions later in life. Victims may experience sexual dysfunction and fertility issues.

Psychological/Anxiety:

The dissociation factor may increase in the victim can also cause severe anxiety. They are so emotionally painful, and experience panic attacks, recollections of abuse are often buried deep. It develops the psychological effect on the mind of victims. They are afraid to leave their homes and feel the chronic fear of the person who harmed them

Effect on Relationships/ Attachment issues:

The survivors feel it challenging to form healthy attachments with others. The fear of re-victimization” is also likely for survivors to put mental and behavior-wise change in their personalities.

Addiction To Drugs

Addiction to drugs is more likely to be the survivors used to forget the incident. Sexual abuse does not only leave psychological effects. It will be the cause of long-lasting health consequences.

How To Report Sexual Abuse:

This kind of trauma impacts severe mental pressure on the victim, which often disables the ability and courage to feel strong and empowered enough to tell others about the incident, find treatment, or pursue repercussions for the perpetrator.

What to do after experiencing the sexual assault? Follow the guide to file a sexual abuse claim.

Seek Safety and Support is the foremost priority.
Consider Seeking Medical Care after a sexual assault is to make sure you are medically sound.
Consult with a lawyer and process the incident involves relying on healthy and productive coping mechanisms.
File a sexual assault claim face the perpetrator in court. Reveal the whole incident during the claims process, publicizing it.

FAQs:

What is Sexual Harassment?

The term “sexual harassment” is particularly used in a legal context.

It includes:

Unwanted sexual contact
Offensive comments about a particular sex
Forcefully perform sexual favors on date

How Many Children Abuse Or Harassment Cases Are Not Reported?

Almost 73% of children never disclose the abuse for a year or more than that. About 45% of children never disclose abuse until 5 or more years have passed.

What are the Sexual Assault Laws?

All forms of sexual abuse are crimes in every state. There are different acts and laws to deal with varying types of sexual abuse.

Is Counseling Necessary After Sexual Assault And Abuse:

One cannot handle this problem alone. It’s better to get help from a mental health professional. Therapy is a safe and private place to get help without judgment.

Conclusion:

Sexual abuses are a terrible reality worldwide; within every 73 seconds, an incident happens. After experiencing such a traumatic incident, a victim of sexual assault may shy away from filing a claim.

The victims of sexual assault can benefit from a sense of recovery for their healing and bring the perpetrators to the public by filing a sexual assault claim. Your peruse to the incident and use your legal rights to help others live from such kind mishaps. CWP

Community Watch Paper posts:

Safety Tips for Women

Report on Crime Victimization

References: