What is Sexual Violence?

Sexual violence is a general term that includes many acts such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, rape, femicide (murder of women), as well as many other practices such as female genital mutilation, sexual exploitation and sexual slavery/prostitution.

Sexual Violence can include:

• Forced oral, vaginal, and anal penetration
• Forced touching, kissing, fondling
• Forced participation in sexual acts
• Forced sexual acts involving weapons or objects
• Forced exposure to sexual conduct
• Coerced sexual behaviour
• Childhood sexual abuse
• Manipulative sexuality
• Forced exposure to sexual information
• Discrimination based on gender
• Sexual intimidation, threats and fear

Sexual violence also includes attitudes and behaviours that are generated, condoned and justified through sexism and misogyny. Misogyny is a term that refers to the hatred of women.

1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime. Of these assaults, half will be against women under the age of 16.
(Ontario Women’s Directorate)

Sexual assault is any unwanted act of a sexual nature that is imposed on another person. This can mean anything from unwanted touching of a sexual nature to rape. Sexual harassment can include behaviors such as comments about a person’s body, sexist or sexually explicit jokes, cartoons or posters, or telling homophobic jokes. Individuals sometimes argue that their behavior was not intended to offend or hurt. However, lack of intent is not a defense against sexual violence. The important issue is how the behavior affects the recipient.

Sexual violence is perpetrated everywhere against anyone – in homes, in communities, at workplaces, on the streets and within societal institutions – schools, prisons, churches, health facilities, social organizations and government systems, throughout the world. Sexual violence does not discriminate.

What is Child Sexual Abuse?

Child sexual abuse, including incest, is defined as the sexual exploitation of a child by an adult.

It can include:

• being touched, fondled, looked at, spoken to, hugged and/or or kissed in a sexual way;
• oral and/or anal sex;
• rape and/or digital penetration;
• exposure to pornographic materials (including forced participation);
• forced to watch adults engage in sexual behaviours; and
• being forced to touch adults or yourself in a sexual way

It is estimated that one in every three girls and one in every seven boys are sexually abused before the age of eighteen
(Bagley Report, 1984)

It is generally accepted that about 80% of offenders are known to the child; in less than 20% of the cases they are strangers. Over 95% of offenders are male. You cannot tell a child abuser just by looking at them. They appear to be very “normal” people. They can be a father, stepfather, grandfather, brother, uncle, mother, stepmother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, foster family, teacher, religious leader, camp counselor, scout leader, team coach, doctor, therapist, neighbour, friend of the family, other kids, strangers, school guidance counselors, police officers, etc.

One in ten Canadians experience at least one type of sexual abuse prior to age 15. (Stats Canada 2018)

Warning Signs

Sexually abused children may exhibit many different behaviours. Some behaviours include:

• withdrawal
• crying
• complaining of physical illnesses
• engage in destructive behaviours
• act out in sexually inappropriate ways
• have problems sleeping
• wet the bed
• may run away
• engage in self abuse
• may have problems concentrating

What is Rape Culture?

Rape culture is a societal environment in which rape and other forms of sexual violence are normalized, excused, or even condoned. This culture is perpetuated through various means, including media representations, social attitudes, and institutional practices that trivialize or dismiss the severity of sexual violence. In rape culture, victims are often blamed for their own assaults, and the actions of perpetrators are downplayed or ignored.

One of the key components of rape culture is the widespread use of language, imagery, and behaviors that objectify and degrade women. This can include everything from sexist jokes and media portrayals that sexualize violence to the more insidious ways in which victims are blamed for their own assault. For example, questioning what a victim was wearing, how much they had been drinking, or why they were in a particular place at a particular time shifts the responsibility away from the perpetrator and onto the victim.

Rape culture also manifests in the legal and institutional handling of sexual assault cases, where victims may face skepticism, disbelief, or outright dismissal when they report their experiences. The justice system can often fail to hold perpetrators accountable, reinforcing the idea that sexual violence is not a serious crime. Moreover, societal myths, such as the belief that rape is only committed by strangers in dark alleys, contribute to the misunderstanding and minimization of the experiences of survivors.

Combatting rape culture requires a fundamental shift in how society views and talks about sexual violence. This includes challenging victim-blaming attitudes, educating people about consent, and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. By addressing the root causes and manifestations of rape culture, society can create a safer and more just environment for everyone.

What is Date Rape?

Date rape is a term used to describe someone being forced, through coercion, pressure, intimidation or physical violence, by someone known to them to go further then they want to go.

57% of rapes happen while on dates and 60% of sexual assaults occur in private homes (Ontario Women’s Directorate)

The majority of date and acquaintance rape victims are young women aged 16-24
(Ontario Women’s Directorate)

Date rape has the lowest reporting rate of all forms of sexual assault. It is estimated that only 1% of all date rapes are reported to the police
(Ontario Women’s Directorate)

Warning Signs of Dating Violence

Warning signs of date violence include:

Dating someone who:

• Is jealous and possessive, won’t let you see your friends, checks up on you or won’t accept breaking up
• Seems excessively interested in your whereabouts, asks you to call them frequently on your cell throughout the day, calls you frequently to see what you’re doing, who you’ve been talking to
• Tries to control you by giving orders, making all the decisions, and disregarding your opinion
• Threatens you and leads you to worry about how he/she will react to things that you might do or say
• Is violent, has a bad temper, or brags about bullying or harming others
• Attempts to make you feel guilty by saying stuff like “If you really love me you would …?”
• Gets too serious about the relationship too quickly
• Blames you when he/she mistreats you
• Believes that men should be in control and women should be submissive? (or vice versa)
• You only feel safe with them when there are other people around. You get treated differently depending on who is around

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is a complex crime involving the exploitation of individuals for ongoing gain, typically through a series of acts rather than a single event. Victims are often reluctant to report due to fear or self-incrimination, making it challenging for law enforcement to gather evidence. The law targets everyone involved in the trafficking process, from recruitment to control over the victim.

The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline uses the Action-Relationship and Purpose (A-RP) model to assess trafficking situations, identifying whether individuals are involved in recruitment, transportation, or control, and whether there’s intent to exploit.

Indicators of trafficking include the use of force, coercion, deception, and the withholding of travel documents. Victims may still be trafficked even without these factors, particularly in cases of labor exploitation.

Human trafficking is distinct from human smuggling, which involves illegal border crossings without the use of force or exploitation.

Trafficking often begins with the trafficker identifying a vulnerable individual, building trust, and then exploiting their vulnerabilities through control and abuse.

Who is Most At Risk?

Although women represent the majority of human trafficking victims in Canada, men and children can also be victims. Those who are most likely to be at-risk include:

• Persons who are socially or economically disadvantaged, including Indigenous women, youth and children, migrants and new immigrants, and runaway/homeless youth
• Girls and women who may be lured to large urban centres or move there voluntarily

High-risk venues for sex trafficking include:

• Escort services
• The internet (particularly classified ad sites)
• Motels/hotels
• Massage parlours
• Modeling studios
• Nightclubs/bars
• Private residences
• Shelters

High-risk areas for labour trafficking include:

• Agriculture sites
• Construction sites
• Domestic servitude
• Restaurants

Canadian Statistics

According to the RCMP, between 2005 and December 2018, human trafficking specific charges were laid in 531 cases. Of these cases:

• 510 were domestic (primarily sexual exploitation);
• 21 were international (primarily forced labour);
• 327 victims were involved;
• 257 individuals were convicted of multiple offences;
• 316 remain before the court (involving approximately 511 accused and 420 victims); and
• 143 successfully resulted in human trafficking specific and/or related convictions (i.e. procuring, living off the avails of prostitution, forcible confinement, keeping a common bawdy house, etc.)

However, due to the reluctance of victims and witnesses to come forward and the difficulty in identifying victims, it is still difficult to assess the extent of human trafficking in Canada.

To date, Canada’s longest sentence for human trafficking for sexual exploitation is 23 years (conviction by judge) whilst that of forced labour was 9 years (guilty plea).

Source: https://www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca

Consent is not just about saying no

The definition of consent is: The voluntary agreement of the victim to engage in the sexual activity.

There is no consent when:

• the victim/survivor submits because of threats or force
• the victim/survivor submits due to the threat of violence or force towards a third party
• a third party speaks on behalf of the victim/survivor
• the victim/survivor is incapable of consenting to the activity in question
• the victim/survivor is under the influence of drugs or alcohol and is not able to consent
• the victim/survivor engages in sexual activity because the accused induces them by abusing a position of trust, power, or authority
• the victim/survivor expresses in words or conduct a lack of agreement or consent
• the victim/survivor first consents but withdraws consent and does not wish to continue with the activity
• children under the age of 14 are deemed incapable of consenting to sexual activity with adults
• lies and/or deception are used to obtain “sex”

You have the Right to Change your Mind

Even if you have consented to sexual activity, you have the right to change your mind. If you have expressed by words, gestures or conduct that you do not want to continue, any and all sexual activity should stop!

No one has the right to make these choices for you.