Chat with us, powered by LiveChat
HELPLINE 0808 801 0500 EMAIL info@jwa.org.uk
Quick
Exit

What is sexual violence

At JWA, we understand sexual violence to be any sexual act where there is no consent. Consent involves choosing to agree to a sexual act without feeling threatened or coerced, and having the freedom and capacity to make that choice.

Forms of sexual violence may include:

  • Rape
  • Sexual assault
  • Assault by penetration
  • Child sexual abuse
  • Child sexual exploitation
  • Sexual harassment
  • Female genital mutilation
  • Forced prostitution and trafficking

Sexual violence is defined as “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work.”

The World Health Organisation, 2002

The impact of sexual violence

Sexual violence can have a range of impacts on many aspects of your life. You may feel loss, anger, self-blame, shame, or symptoms of anxiety or trauma. You may avoid certain situations or places, you may feel like harming yourself. Whatever you feel and however you are coping is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. You are surviving.

Getting support

Some women reach out straightaway for support, others do so when they are triggered by an event or a smell, for example.

For some women, it takes years of building up the courage to share what they’ve been through or to be willing to revisit the trauma of what happened.

Whenever you come to us, we are here for you.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUPPORT SERVICE
Sign up to our Newsletter

Name