Sexual violence is any sexual act that a person did not consent to or is forced to participate in against their will and without free and informed choice. Any sexual act without active consent can be considered as sexual violence.
Sexual violence includes offences such as rape (an assault involving penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth), sexual assault by penetration, sexual assault such as groping, child sexual abuse. This is not an exhaustive list, sexual abuse can look and be experienced very differently by individuals.
It is not uncommon for a victim of sexual assault to have no physical injuries or signs of their assault. This does not mean that a crime has not taken place and it is not something that can be reported to the police, or something that a survivor can seek support for. More information about this support is detailed content of these pages.
It is not uncommon for a victim of sexual assault to have no physical injuries or signs of their assault. This does not mean that a crime has not taken place and it is not something that can be reported to the police, or something that a survivor can seek support for. More information about this support is detailed content of these pages.
Find out what support there is if you have been sexually assaulted.
If you think that you know someone who has been sexually assaulted and would like to know how to support them, go to our ' I think I know someone who has been sexually assaulted' page.
For more information and to find out more about using Report and Support, please take a look at these pages.