Defining Sexual Assault

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 White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault launched a website, Not Alone, which defines sexual assault as:

Physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or when a person is incapable of giving consent (for example, due to the student’s age or use of drugs or alcohol, or because an intellectual or other disability prevents the student from having the capacity to give consent). A number of different acts fall into the category of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual abuse, and sexual coercion. Sexual violence can be carried out by school employees, fellow students, students from other schools, or third parties. Sexual violence is a form of sexual harassment.

To read a list of other key terms the Task Force, click on view resource below.

Author: Sari Lipsett

Sari Lipsett has worked in Wisconsin and California doing prevention education and programing, survivor advocacy, public policy and grants management. Sari works in CALCASA’s Southern California Office where it is sunny all the time.

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