Sexual Violence
The right to be free from sexual
violence is a universal human right and an issue of priority for
the Mayor’s Office of Diversity & Human Rights. Sexual violence
affects hundreds of thousands women, men and children every year
in the United States alone and will one day end through
concerted education efforts and collaboration between
individuals, groups and organizations willing to stand up and
say sexual abuse will not be tolerated in our society. We hope
these pages will be a valuable resource for all citizens of Salt
Lake City, especially those affected by such crimes.
Diversity and Human Rights Focus Newsletter
To read April’s Diversity & Human Rights Focus newsletter click here.
We focus our theme around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 3, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.” April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and Salt Lake City is participating in local efforts.
You’ll find two important articles by Leslie Miller, sexual assault response team (SART) coordinator for Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA), and Ned Searle and Marty Liccardo from the Men’s Anti-Violence Network of Utah (MAN). We included a short tribute to Days of Remembrance which occurs on May 2, 2011.
To subscribe to the ODHR monthly newsletter
click here.
Sexual Violence Terms
Sexual Violence - Sexual violence
occurs any time a person is forced, coerced, or manipulated
into any unwanted sexual contact, attempted or completed. All
following definitions are forms of sexual violence.
Sexual Assault - Unwanted sexual contact that stops short of
rape or attempted rape. This includes sexual touching, fondling
and indecent exposure, (touching of buttocks, genitals, breasts,
mouth or forcing another to touch those areas) and sexual
harassment.
Rape - Forced sexual intercourse (penis to vaginal penetration)
without the victims consent.
Forcible sodomy - Any unwanted sexual act with a person who is
14 or older involving the genitals of one person and mouth or
anus of another person, regardless of the sex of either
participant.
Sexual Harassment - Any unwanted sexual pressure, verbal,
visual, or physical in nature, including spreading sexual
rumors, rude gestures or noises, inappropriate touching or
rubbing, and offensive comments about someone's clothes or body.
It can be common at work and school and is sometimes committed
by someone who is in a position of power, such as a boss,
teacher, or professor.
Incest - sexual abuse in which the perpetrator and the victim
are related by blood or marriage.
Acquaintance or date rape - A form of sexual violence occurring
on a social outing or date. It is also a common form of
acquaintance rape. Both of these can be defined as being
subjected to unwanted sexual intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, or
other sexual contact through force, threats or coercion. Date
rape is most often perpetrated by someone the victim knows, in a
situation familiar to them (i.e., a friend’s house, their house,
a party, etc.).
