Sexual Assault Glossary
by Melissa
The following terms include types of assault and abuse, medical terminology,
a general guide to legal terminology and words for helping and healing. Words'
meanings may vary in different contexts, but in this glossary are related to
abuse and assault situations. To learn your local laws, policies, and procedures,
contact a crisis center in your area. Jump to the following sections:
Words for Helping and Healing
CONFIDENTIALITY—An agreement
that the information that you share with someone will
not be shared with others without your permission.
Many hotlines, counseling and crisis centers ensure
confidentiality. There are some instances where confidentiality
can not be ensured, such as in the case of abuse of
a minor, threat of harm to self or others, or the subpoena
of records to a court.
CONSENT—Saying "yes" to
engaging in a particular act. Consent does not occur when one person says no,
says nothing, is coerced, is physically forced, is mentally or physically helpless,
is intoxicated, is under the influence of drugs, is unconscious, or any time
that consent is not explicitly given. Having given consent on a previous occasion
does not mean that a person has consented for any future encounter. The definition
of consent for minors is even more limited.
COUNSELING—A guided exploration of your feelings and
behaviors and their roots. Professional counselors can be psychologists, psychiatrists,
social workers, and licensed counselors, among other identifications. Often
you can find counseling that is specified to a particular need, such as sexual
assault, emotional abuse, or substance addiction.
CRISIS CENTER—A center that provides crisis intervention
services, typically geared toward victims of sexual assault or domestic violence.
The services provided by crisis centers vary but may include shelter (usually
temporary and/or with stipulations), an intervention hotline, support for secondary
survivors, survivor support groups, educational programs for members of the
local community, legal, medical and counseling advocacy, and referrals to community
services. For a crisis center near you, visit http://www.rainn.org/counseling.html.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS—An unconscious way of dealing with
difficult situations. Some examples of defense mechanisms include avoidance,
displacement, denial, eating disorders, and repression.
DISPLACEMENT—A defense mechanism where a difficult feeling
is transferred to something that is easier to deal with. For instance if you
are angry and hurting due to being sexually assaulted you may displace these
feelings onto something easier to deal with, such as being angry about a homework
assignment.
FLASHBACKS—Vivid images that may include sensations
of smell, sound, touch, or taste that can appear without apparent cause. The
images may be of a person's assault or abuse directly, or they could be images
of objects and/or people related to the assault or abuse, such as a wallpaper
pattern, a room, a color, etc.
HETEROSEXISM—The assumption that everyone is heterosexual
or the assumption that only heterosexuality is the "norm." It is
important for GLBTQ survivors to find a non-heterosexist support system in
their healing process.
HOMOPHOBIA—The fear of people of non-heterosexual sexual
orientations. Homophobia can be seen as an underlying factor to many cultural
rape myths and societal gender roles that perpetuate sexual assault.
HOTLINE—A telephone number that you can call to discuss
a particular issue. Typically hotlines are geared towards a certain issued,
such as concerns about sexual assault, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol,
or harassment. To find hotline numbers, see our Sexual
Assault Resources page.
INSIGHT—A sudden realization, discovery, or recognition
of something that you did not know or understand before. Many survivors have
insights about their assault or abuse long after its occurrence. An example
of an insight would be realizing that being raped was not your fault and being
able to place blame on the offender.
REPRESSION—A defense mechanism that involves blocking
out traumatic memories or feelings, unconsciously, because you are not able
or willing to deal with them.
SECONDARY SURVIVOR—Anyone
who has an important person in their life that has been the victim or survivor
of physical, mental or emotional
abuse, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or incest. For information
for secondary survivors, see our Sexual Assault Secondary
Survivors page.
SUPPORT GROUP—A small group of people who gather to
discuss a specific topic and its relation to their lives. Support groups are
often mediated by counselors, but do not have to be. Examples of support groups
include 'men who have been sexually assaulted' or 'young women with eating
disorders' or 'sober gay youth.'
SURVIVOR—A term often used for someone who has been
through an experience of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence,
incest or abuse. The term "survivor" is often used instead of the
term "victim" in order to reclaim power.
TRIGGERS—Specific objects, sensory images or thought
that can lead to thoughts of an assault or abuse situation or to a flashback.
If you are a survivor, realizing triggers can help you be more aware of when
you are in a situation that may lead to a flashback or traumatic memory.
VICTIM—A term for someone who has been through an assault
or abuse experience. Victim is often used immediately after the occurrence
of the assault or abuse and is always used when someone has died due to the
assault or abuse.
Types of Assault and Abuse
The definitions of assault and abuse are compiled from many sources and are
the general definitions used by many assault and abuse counseling and crisis
intervention providers. The legal definition of these terms may vary from state
to state.
ABUSE—Any type of treatment that
is harmful, injurious, or threatening. There are many types of abuse including
emotional, mental, physical, and sexual. Often more that one type of abuse
occur at one time or during one experience.
EMOTIONAL ABUSE—Any abuse that causes or intends to
cause emotional damage. This can include name-calling, derogatory comments,
insults, threats, and social isolation. Emotional abuse is often very damaging
to the victim's self-esteem and can lead to a dependency on the abuser. Emotional
abuse almost always includes blaming the victim for the abuse.
MENTAL ABUSE—A blanket term for emotional, intellectual
or psychological abuse.
PHYSICAL ABUSE—Any physical injury, threat of injury,
or threat of a situation that has a risk of physical harm, disfigurement, or
death. Physical abuse can include hitting, kicking, biting, slapping, punching,
and pushing. Physical abuse can also include such things as withholding access
to medical treatment or necessities such as food or shelter.
SEXUAL ABUSE—Any abuse, whether
physical or mental, that is sexual in nature. Sexual abuse can include rape,
sexual harassment, forcible sodomy, exhibitionism, voyeurism, sexual pressure
or coercion, unwanted genital contact, inappropriate sexual comments, and forced
object penetration, among others.
CONSENT—Saying "yes" to engaging in a particular
act. Consent does not occur when one person says no, says nothing, is coerced,
is physically forced, is mentally or physically helpless, is intoxicated, is
under the influence of drugs, is unconscious, or any time that consent is not
explicitly given. Having given consent on a previous occasion does not mean
that a person has consented for any future encounter. The definition of consent
for minors is even more limited.
CYCLE OF VIOLENCE—A typical pattern of relationship
violence where the relationship moves from a "honeymoon" or calm
phase into a tension-building phase into a crisis phase where battering occurs.
Due to the continuous cycle, many abusers can persuade the abused to stay in
the relationship by making up to them during the honeymoon phase.
DATING VIOLENCE—Any type of emotional, physical, or
sexual abuse where the victim and the offender are in a dating relationship.
Though this term often refers to physical violence, this term can mean any
type of abusive dating relationship. See abuse, rape,
and forcible sodomy in the glossary and also our article
on dating violence.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE—Used to refer to any type of emotional,
physical, or sexual abuse where the offender and the victim live together.
Typically the victim and the offender are involved in an intimate relationship
as well. See abuse, rape, and forcible
sodomy in the glossary and also our article on dating
violence.
EXHIBITIONISM—The act of
exposing others to the sight of one's genitalia in a lewd or indecent manner.
These offenders are often referred to as "flashers" or "streakers."
FORCIBLE SODOMY—Oral or anal sex
without both people's consent. See consent.
INCEST—Sexual contact between persons
who are closely related by birth or marriage.
MALTREATMENT—A form of abuse against children, or anyone
incapable or caring for themselves, that involves not responding to the physical
and mental needs of the person. This can involve withholding or providing inadequate
food, shelter, and medical care, as well as any type of emotional, physical,
or sexual abuse. Maltreatment is also referred to as neglect or abuse.
MOLESTATION—A word that means
to annoy or to disturb, but has sexual connotations. Typically refers to a
person who sexually assaults children, or someone who is a child molester.
PEDOPHILIA—When a person prefers using children as sex
objects. This person may or may not act on this preference and only if the
preference is acted out, is the person a child molester.
RAPE—Any unwanted sexual intercourse.
The legal definition usually refers to only heterosexual forced intercourse,
but commonly rape is used to refer to any forced sexual act regardless of the
offender or the victim's gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Rape
occurs one person does not freely consent to sexual intercourse. See consent.
ACQUAINTANCE RAPE—Any rape where the victim knows the
offender. Most studies show that the vast majority of rapes are acquaintance
rapes, usually citing between 80-95%, as opposed to stranger rapes. Many people
who are raped do not identify their experience as rape due to culture myths
on sexual assault. Even if you know the offender, if you are forced to have
sex, it is still rape.
DATE RAPE—Any rape where the victim knows the offender
in a dating capacity. Even if you were on a date or had sex with them before,
if you do not give consent, it is still rape.
DOMESTIC RAPE—A rape where the offender and the victim
live together. Marital rape refers to rape where the offender and the victim
are legally married. Though laws are changing, the legal system has often been
of little protection for domestic partners and spouses who are raped.
GANG RAPE—A rape where there is more than one offender.
Gang rapes usually are planned, involve drugs and/or alcohol, and involve physical
assault. Gang rapes are often severely underreported to officials.
STATUTORY RAPE—Sexual relations with a child or a minor
with their consent. The age and age differences for prosecuting statutory rape
vary from state to state.
SEXUAL ASSAULT—Any unwanted sexual contact. Sexual assault
is a term used to describe many offenses and includes rape, forcible oral sodomy,
forcible anal sodomy, unwanted object penetration, and unwanted sexual touching,
among others. See exhibitionism, forcible
sodomy, incest, molestation, rape, sexual
abuse, sexual harassment, stalking,
and voyeurism.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT—A violation
of a person's civil and constitutional rights that can be physical, verbal
or non-verbal. It includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment
can take the form of gender harassment, seductive behavior, sexual bribery,
and sexual coercion or pressure. Sexual harassment can happen in private or
public settings, but is often used to refer to the workplace. If you are being
sexually harassed, find support and contact a professional or crisis center
in your area to find out what steps to take.
STALKING—A type of assault where
the offender is continuously entering the victim's life without permission,
either in person, on the telephone, on the internet, at home, at work, or in
multiple capacities. If you are being stalked, keep a log of what has occurred
and when, contact the authorities and seek assistance.
VOYEURISM—Looking at someone
in an inappropriate or lewd manner, usually when sight of the private parts
of their body are exposed. See stalking.
The legal terms provided on this site are a general overview of terms that
may be used in the legal system. The correct usage of these terms varies depending
on the legal system and the state you are in.
DEFENDANT—The label given to the offender or perpetrator
in the legal system. In a trial, the offender would be called the defendant
because they are the one who is being prosecuted by the state.
MANDATORY REPORTING—A law that requires that a person's
knowledge of an abuse be reported to the authorities. Mandatory reporting is
usually only applicable to children and youth under the age of majority. The
specifications for mandatory reporting vary from state to state and with the
situation.
OFFENDER/PERPETRATOR—The person who commits a sexual
assault or is the person who commits abuse on another person.
RAPE SHIELD LAW—A variety of this law exists in most
states. It says essentially what the laws have always said-that evidence which
is not relevant or material to the case is inadmissible. These laws are to
keep information that is unrelated to the case out of courts when sexual assault
and abuse trials are being conducted, such as reputation or opinion evidence
on a victim's previous sexual experience. Prior sexual conduct evidence is
admissible if it has a direct relationship to the physical evidence.
REVICTIMIZATION—The process of "reliving" an
assault or abuse in a negative way by having to retell it or answer questions
about it to others. Sometimes survivors feel that they are revictimized during
criminal procedures, but this feeling can be lessened if you have a victim
advocate or a community volunteer with you.
S.A.R.T.—Sexual Assault Response Team, a term used to
describe all of the professionals and volunteers who are involved in the care
of a victim after a sexual assault. The S.A.R.T. team can include medical and
nursing staff, law enforcement, social workers, mental health professionals,
the judicial system, forensic scientists, counselors and community volunteers.
Many people in the S.A.R.T. may never have contact with the victim, but play
very important roles.
SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY—An online and/or print registry
of sex offenders. Registries are established within states and an offender
is usually required to register after they have been convicted and have served
their sentence for a sex crime. To find your state's sex offender registry
search your state government website.
VICTIM—A term for someone who has been through an assault
or abuse experience. Victim is often used directly after the occurrence of
the assault or abuse and is always used when someone has died due to the assault
or abuse.
VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT—A statement in a criminal trial
that identifies the victim of a crime, the physical, emotional, economical
and medical pain and loss suffered by the victim, services required by the
victim and any other information related. Many states allow for the inclusion
of a victim impact statement in the proceedings that is kept confidential and
sealed after sentencing.
VICTIM/WITNESS ADVOCATE—Someone whose job is to work
with victim and witnesses of crimes to ensure that they are giving the rights
that they are entitled to. If you are a victim or witness of a crime, find
out if there is a professional advocate in the judicial system of your area.
WITNESS—Someone who was present during the committing
of a crime. In some cases and in some jurisdictions the term "witness" can
be used to describe the "victim" of the crime. This is because some
crimes are considered "crimes against the state" and thus the victim
is considered a witness to a crime against the state. If you are the victim
of a crime and hear someone refer to you or someone in similar circumstances
as the "witness" it does not mean that you were not victimized.
ANOSCOPY—A medical procedure that involves the examination
of the anus and lower rectum, using a special speculum. This may be conducted
after a sexual assault, especially if it involved forced anal penetration.
CULTURE—A medical test that may be conducted after a
sexual assault in which swabs are taken from different parts of the body, a
slide is smeared with the swab and evidence is examined.
"DATE RAPE" DRUGS—Drugs used to facilitate
rape. These drugs are usually slipped into someone's drink without his/her
knowledge and the person becomes unconscious after ingesting them. The most
common "date rape" drugs are Rohypnol (slang: Ruffies, Roches, Roofies)
and GHB (slang: Liquid X, Liquid Ecstasy, Vita-G). To reduce your risk of "date
rape" drugs do not leave your drink unattended, do not accept drinks from
anyone, avoid drinks that are bright blue or murky in color or have an unusual
taste, and drink responsibly. If you have to leave your drink for any reason,
do not resume drinking from it. Get a fresh drink. If you think you were the
victim of a "date rape" drug, go to the emergency room as soon as
possible, do not urinate as the drugs are quickly processed and expelled, and
bring the drink with you if possible.
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION PILLS—A form of birth control
that prevents pregnancy and can be used up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex.
They are safe and effective, but should be used for infrequent, non-routine
use and should not be taken before unprotected sex. They do not cause an abortion
or birth defects if you are already pregnant. They are not a method of preventing
STI and HIV transmission. To learn more call the Emergency Contraception Hotline
at 1-888-NOT-2-LATE or visit online at www.not-2-late.com.
HIV TESTING—Testing
for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) can be done directly after a sexual
assault, but this will not tell you if you have contracted HIV during the assault.
If you are tested soon after the assault, this will tell you whether you have
been infected in the past and if you get re-tested six months after the assault,
which will tell you if you have been infected since your last test.
MORE INFORMATION >>
Articles >> The Empowering Inner Potential to End Violence :: Glossary :: Male/Male Sexual Violence :: Secondary Survivors :: Quiz
Stories >> If Robbery Victims Were Treated Like Rape Victims :: Listen :: Missoula Rape Poem :: One Kid's Story
Resources >> Sexual Assault :: Dating Violence :: Healthy Relationships :: Emergency Contraception
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