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What is Sexual Assault? Although the legal definition of sexual assault varies from state to state, sexual violence occurs anytime a person is forced, coerced and/or manipulated into unwanted sexual activity. It includes rape, statutory rape, date and acquaintance rape, incest and sexual harassment, among others. Sexual violence is a violent act using sex as a way to gain power and control over someone else. (From Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape ) Rape is any forced, non-consensual sexual intercourse including oral, anal, and vaginal intercourse. What is Domestic Violence? Domestic Violence is any relationship where there is abusive behavior. It encompasses all forms of abuse; sexual, mental, emotional, financial, verbal, and physical. It can be difficult to label abuse but it can be summarized by saying that if someone you are in a relationship with, whether it is a marriage or other relationship, demeans you emotionally or harms you physically then it is domestic violence. It affects women, men, children, the elderly, mentally and physically handicapped and to people in gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual communities. What is child abuse? It's any mistreatment or neglect of a child that results in harm or injury. Child abuse can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. What is Sexual Harassment? Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when submission to or rejection of this conduct affects an individual's employment, interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. A major part of this definition is unequal balance of power but it can also occur between co-workers or customers.
What
is Stalking?
While each state’s laws vary, most define stalking as a course of conduct that
places a person in fear for their safety. Virtually any unwanted contact between
a stalker and their victim which directly or indirectly communicates a threat or
places the victim in fear can generally be referred to as stalking
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