The Definition of Sexual Assault: Learning Respect for Others

The term “sexual assault” has been in the news and on social media a lot in the last few years. However, you may feel about the #MeToo movement that raised awareness about how pervasive sexual assault and abuse of power were in the film and other industries, it caused us, as a society, to have a much-needed conversation.

The Rise of Sexual Assault

Christians, as people who are dispersed everywhere in every industry, place of business, and neighborhood, have come across and been involved in these conversations too. Human beings are beings created in God’s image, which means we have infinite value and inherent dignity. Whatever tries to diminish that, as sexual assault does, is denigrating God’s creation and ought to be opposed.

One of the shifts that have come about in the last few years is the awareness that the conversations about sexual assault too often focus on the survivors. In the past, people who had suffered sexual assault were questioned about what they were wearing when it happened, why they were in that part of town at that time of day, or with that crowd in the first place.

In all, the emphasis seemed to lie on the survivors and to blame them for not taking adequate precautions against possible threats. This misplaced emphasis often meant that survivors of sexual assault felt further isolated and at fault for what happened to them, which merely added to the trauma they experienced.

Anybody can become a victim of sexual assault, regardless of the time, where they were, what they were wearing, or what they said. It affects people across age lines, gender, socio-economic divisions, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and level of education.

Individuals who are survivors of rape (whether stranger rape or acquaintance rape) often already blame themselves for possibly behaving in a way that may have encouraged the perpetrator. It’s important to remember that the survivor is never to blame for the actions of a perpetrator.

Sexual assault is not the survivor’s fault, and it’s unhelpful and harmful to blame them for someone else’s behavior. Instead, it’s more appropriate to direct our ire toward the person who violated them. They are responsible for their own actions and should be held accountable accordingly. Rather than blaming them, survivors of sexual assault need all the support they can get.

How “Sexual Assault” is Defined

Another area of the unfolding conversation concerns the definition of sexual assault and the meaning of consent. Defining “sexual assault” is much more difficult than one would imagine.

According to the Justice Department of the United States, the term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient/victim. The term is thus an umbrella covering a wide variety of sexual activities. Some forms of sexual assault include:

• Fondling or unwanted sexual touching.
• Rape and attempted rape.
• Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating their body with another body part or a body part with an object.
• Exposure of genitalia, buttocks, breast, or any other intimate body parts.
• Contact with genitalia, buttocks, breasts, or any other intimate body parts.

This broad definition from the Justice Department covers how sexual assault is commonly understood. The reason it is difficult to pin down the legal definition of sexual assault is that the definition varies depending on the state you’re in, and it may even differ depending on where you were when the assault happened.

Each state decides the details of what legally constitutes sexual assault, and it is in those details that differences may appear. Thus, how New York defines “sexual assault” and how California or Texas would define it, and the terminology they use to do so, may not be the same.

Certain terms like “force” regarding sexual assault do not refer in all cases to physical threats or pressure. A perpetrator may manipulate or emotionally and psychologically coerce a survivor into non-consensual sexual activity. In other instances, a perpetrator may ensure compliance by threatening to hurt the victim or their family member.

What to Do if You Know of or Suspect Sexual Assault

In this life, we meet many challenges, and many of them come our way without our prompting. In those seasons, we need people around us who will stand with us and support us on our journey. If someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, come alongside them to support and advocate on their behalf.

Christians recognize that behaviors such as sexual assault are evil and unacceptable because of how they attack and misuse people who are God’s creation and beings who are made in God’s image. Whether the motive is seeking to dominate and express domination and power over others, fulfilling lustful thoughts, or something else, sexual assault violates their humanity and makes them feel unsafe.

The call to love our neighbors as ourselves means that what undermines, makes others feel unsafe, and so on, are things we avoid. While the inconsistency in the laws makes the legal definition of “sexual assault” difficult to pin down uniformly, Christians are called to a higher standard of purity and integrity in thought and action (Ephesians 5).

If someone tries to come as close to the line as possible without breaking the rules, it’s legitimate to ask what’s going on. The basic norm of love and respect for others ought to mean we respect and obey the laws on sexual assault and then go above and beyond that out of love for God and his image-bearers.

This calls for humility, a willingness to learn, and repenting when we are called out. Nonetheless, for believers and non-believers alike, the laws against sexual assault exist to protect individuals and deal with perpetrators.

What should you do if you know or suspect that you’ve been the victim of sexual assault? You may not always know if a situation you were in entailed sexual assault, and that may be so for a variety of reasons. What you can do is to find a sexual violence advocate near you.

These advocates, such as a rape crisis center, can keep your conversation private and confidential even against a subpoena, and this privileged communication gives a survivor of sexual assault the freedom to explore all their options about how they would like to proceed with the matter.

If, for some reason, going to the authorities and reporting what happened is intimidating (as it is for many), you can still speak with a counselor or a trauma-informed therapist who can help you process what you went through.

Whether or not you take the matter further with the authorities, seeking medical attention is also important to address any issues that may have arisen due to the assault. Should you wish to pursue your legal options, a sexual violence advocate can aid you with contacting law enforcement and setting up forensic exams and evidence collection (such as a rape kit).

Next Steps

If you have been the victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or chat online 24/7 at https://hotline.rainn.org/online. When you call 800.656.HOPE (4673), you will be routed to a local sexual assault service provider in your area.

There, you will have access to a range of free services such as trained staff who can provide you with confidential support, give you information about the local laws in your community, and support you in finding a local health care facility that is trained to care for survivors of sexual assault.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, you mustn’t stay silent. Let someone know, even if only a friend, so they can walk alongside you or help you get the help you need.