consent
/kənˈsɛnt/

noun

permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.

a. sexual assault does not have to be penetrative; it can include both fondling and molestation. it is considered rape when it involves oral, anal, or vaginal penetration.

b. sexual contact is also illegal if inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent because of age, physical incapacity, or mental incapacity.

here is a list of a few terms + definitions that make up the sexual assault continuum:

acquaintance rape:

this is an umbrella term used to describe sexual assaults in which the survivor and the perpetrator are known to each other, whether by passing acquaintance or someone the survivor knows intimately.

drug facilitated sexual assault:

this most often occurs when you are at a party, club, or a social event and you are with people you know and don’t think you have any reason to fear. someone secretly drops a drug such as roofies or ecstasy in your drink.

child sexual abuse:

this is any sexual act with a child by a parent, an adult or someone who is older or more powerful than the child. it involves forcing, tricking, bribing, threatening or pressuring a child into sexual acts.

marital rape:

spousal or marital rape is the term used to describe sexual acts committed without a person’s consent and/or against a person’s will, when the perpetrator is the woman’s husband or ex-husband (or a man’s wife or ex-wife).

REMEMBER:

CONSENT IS A VOLUNTARY, SOBER, ENTHUSIASTIC, INFORMED, MUTUAL, HONEST + VERBAL AGREEMENT. IT IS AN ACTIVE AGREEMENT THAT CANNOT (AND SHOULD NOT) BE COERCED.