What Is Sexual Abuse?

Sexual abuse refers to any unwanted sexual contact or act committed without a person’s clear and voluntary consent. Consent means an individual gives knowing, voluntary, and intelligent agreement to engage in sexual activity. It must be freely given, without force, coercion, manipulation, or incapacitation and it can be withdrawn at any time.

Sexual abuse does not always involve the threat or perpetration of physical violence. Abuse can take the form of manipulation, coercion or threats.

Although many people often associate sexual abuse with being perpetrated by strangers, a majority of survivors actually know the person who sexually abused them.

Some examples include:

• Unwanted touching or groping
• Being forced or pressured into sex or unwanted sexual contact like oral sex or masturbation
• Statutory rape
• Incapacity to consent to sexual activity due to a disability or impairment (such as intoxication)
• Any sexual act with a child
• Sexual threats or harassment
• Sharing sexually explicit images without permission

In a relationship, sexual abuse might look like a partner who guilts you into sex, ignores your boundaries or uses affection as a bargaining chip. These behaviors are still abuse, even when they happen within a marriage or long-term partnership, especially because consent to sexual activity can be withdrawn at any time.

When it comes to children, the law is clear: Any sexual behavior involving a minor is abuse. Children cannot legally give consent, even if they don’t resist or realize what’s happening.
 

Sexual abuse is far more common than most people realize, even though it is grossly underreported. The CDC reports that more than 80% of female rape survivors were assaulted before the age of 25. Nearly half were still children when it happened.

These statistics are painful to read, but it doesn’t paint a complete picture of the prevalence of sexual abuse in the United States. Many survivors never report what happened. Some stay silent out of fear. Others don’t think they’ll be believed or worry that nothing will change. We are here to help you tell your story and demand accountability.

Speaking up and demanding change is powerful. The civil justice system is one mechanism to hold wrongdoers accountable.

Filing a lawsuit or pressing charges can’t undo the past for sexual abuse victims. But for many survivors, it’s a big step toward healing. Legal action can offer a sense of closure, expose wrongdoing and help prevent the same harm from happening to someone else.

Depending on your state, survivors may be able to:

• File a civil lawsuit against the individual or institution responsible for the abuse
• Report the abuse to law enforcement and pursue criminal charges
• Seek compensation for therapy, lost wages, or pain and suffering

At Motley Rice, our trauma-informed attorneys work with survivors nationwide. We help clients understand their rights, file claims and hold people and institutions accountable for covering up abuse. Whether the abuse happened in a home, a religious institution, a hospital, on a college campus or somewhere else, we’re here to help survivors recover.

Learn more about Motley Rice’s experience standing up for sexual abuse victims.