What is Sexual Violence?
What is Sexual Violence?
2:48Module 2 Overview
Intimate Partner Sexual Violence
While Hollywood often depicts sexual assault as a stranger in a ski mask who lunges out to pull a complete stranger into a dark alley, in reality, most sexual assault is committed by someone the survivor knows.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC):
- More than half (51.1%) of female survivors of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance
- For male survivors, more than half (52.4%) reported being raped by an acquaintance
- For both men and women, being assaulted by a known individual makes up more than half of the cases reported
Module Learning Objectives
In the first module, you examined intimate partner violence and the use of power and control in abusive relationships. On the outer ring of the Power and Control Wheel are physical and sexual violence. The threat of violence can be terrorizing, and the use of sexual violence can be particularly traumatizing.
The intersection between sexual violence and intimate partner violence is more common than you might think, and to understand this intersection, you must understand the basis of sexual violence.
By the end of this module you will be able to:
- Distinguish between consent, compliance, coercion, rape, and other forms of sexual assault
- Identify ways society normalizes violence against women
- Describe how sexual violence connects to intimate partner violence
The Spectrum of Consent
Understanding Consent
The spectrum of consent includes four areas: consent, compliance, coercion, and rape/assault. A large portion of understanding sexual violence is understanding consent and what lack of consent looks like.
💡 Key Insight: Understanding this continuum helps professionals recognize that sexual violence exists on a spectrum. Not all non-consensual acts look the same, but all deserve trauma-informed support.
A Note About Gender
When reviewing the research and history of sexual violence, it is largely a story of men's violence against women. Unfortunately, that also means that most of the research that has been done does not include research about survivors who are men, transgender, or non-binary. This data will be included where possible throughout the course.
Social vs. Legal Definitions
Understanding Different Definitions of Consent
Consent may sound like a simple concept—you either have someone's consent or you don't. As the consent spectrum shows, however, consent isn't always easy to understand. Many people struggle with knowing when someone can and cannot consent.
Social Definitions:
In a social context, consent should be enthusiastic, informed, freely given, and ongoing. If any of these elements are missing, consent is questionable or absent.
Legal Definitions:
While social understanding helps us recognize what consent looks like, legal definitions of consent and sexual assault don't always match the social definition. Laws also vary between states and territories, which can make it that much harder to understand.
How to Respond
For this reason, it is important to always respond to survivors of rape and sexual assault based on their social and lived experiences.
This means that if a survivor has any of the actions defined across the consent spectrum used against them, and they consider themselves to have experienced sexual assault, then we should believe and support them.
As professionals like Dr. Patel or James, your role is not to determine legal definitions—it's to provide trauma-informed support based on the survivor's experience and needs.
Quiz
Question 1 of 3
Consent vs. Compliance
What is the key difference between consent and compliance?