Definitions
Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) is any sexual or physical 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. SGBV also includes any gender-motivated act that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychosocial harm or suffering, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.
SGBV can be further defined within three primary categories: sexual violence, physical violence, and emotional violence. Keep in mind that multiple types of violence can be present in the same situation at once. *Please note that some of these definitions may be graphic
Sexual Violence
Rape/Marital Rape: the penetration of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration with genitals, without the consent of the victim
Sexual Assault: Any sexual contact and/or behavior which occurs without the explicit consent of the victim
Child Sexual Abuse: Any sexual contact or sexual behavior (including rape or attempted rape) directed towards or with a person under the legal age of consent
Please verify state-specific laws for consent if you are unsure if an individual is a victim of child abuse: http://www.ageofconsent.us/state-laws
Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances and/or requests for sexual favors
Physical Violence (aka. Intimate Partner Violence)
Physical Assault/Abuse: A physical attack from an individual or group, with or without use of a weapon, threats of physical attack, or acting in a threatening behavior towards the victim
Emotional (aka. Psychological Violence)
Humiliation: Consistent insults and engagement in verbally aggressive behavior which is intended to humiliate or control the victim
Controlling and manipulative behaviors: Non-physical actions meant to control and/or manipulate the victim into submitting to the desires or commands of the aggressor
Statistics
To help you understand the devastating impact of this health crisis, we’ve provided a fraction of the data available on the occurrence of sexual and gender based violence within the United States.
Sexual Violence
- There are an average of 237,868 victims of sexual violence every year
60% of assaults are never reported to law enforcement - Roughly 2/3 of all rapes or sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim
- Within their lifetime, 1 of every 6 American women and 1 of every 33 American men will be or has been a victim of completed or attempted rape
- 15% of sexual assault or rape victims are under the age of 12
Physical Violence / Intimate Partner Violence
- One in every four women will experience intimate partner violence within her lifetime
- 75% of instances of intimate partner violence are never reported to law enforcement
- 30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.
- 15% of victims of intimate partner violence are men
- Almost 1/3 of all reported female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner
Emotional / Psychological Violence
- During their lifetime, 48% of both men and women have experienced psychological violence by an intimate partner
- 84% of women who are physically abused are also psychologically abused
- 3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have experienced stalking in their lifetime
Where to Learn More
The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence is the national online resource center for victims and survivors of domestic violence
WeWillSpeakOut.US/SacredSpaces is the Sacred Spaces microsite where we delve deeper into information about combatting sexual and gender based violence in faith communities.
FaithTrust Institute is a multi-faith, multicultural training and education organization focused on ending sexual and domestic violence.