Sexual abuse is a form of violence that affects people of all ages, genders and cultures around the world. According to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), one in 5 women and one in 13 men have reported having suffered sexual abuse when they were between 0 and 17 years old.
When we hear about sexual abuse, we often think of the use of physical violence to force a victim to perform sexual acts. However, this is not the only type that exists. To avoid being a victim of possible aggression, it is very important to be clear that there are different types of sexual abuse.
Next, we explain what types of sexual abuse exist. Remember that, if you have been a victim of any of them, or someone around you is suffering from it, it is important to seek help and break the silence. Talking will be the first step to heal the wounds of sexual abuse and prevent more people from suffering from it.
What are the types of sexual abuse?
There are 3 types of sexual abuse, which are: physical, verbal and visual abuse.
Physical sexual abuse
It happens when you are forced to touch or touched inappropriately. What does this mean? Someone asks you to caress them or that person caresses you anywhere on your body and you don’t feel comfortable. It may be in the genital areas, breasts, buttocks, or thighs. Although in reality, it can be anywhere on the body that makes you uncomfortable.
It is also referred to as physical sexual abuse if you are forced to kiss someone’s lips or parts of their body. Furthermore, if you feel obligated to let them kiss you anywhere on your body, this is still a case of physical sexual abuse.
And of course, it is physical sexual abuse if you are forced to have sex. This type of sexual abuse is often confused with sexual violence, however, they are two different concepts. In you can learn the differences between physical sexual abuse and sexual violence.
Verbal sexual abuse
In this case, verbal sexual abuse occurs when someone threatens you, asks you to perform sexual acts, or talks about touching you inappropriately.
It also happens when someone is making comments about your body, especially your “swimsuit areas,” (i.e., breasts, buttocks, penis, or vagina). It can even be observed when an adult is talking about sex or sexual acts with you.
visual sexual abuse
Lastly, this type of sexual abuse occurs when, for example, someone forces you to look at nude photos of other people or magazines where nudity or scenes appear that make you feel uncomfortable.
There is also talk of visual sexual abuse when someone forces you to watch videos of people having sexual relations or people in real life who are having sexual relations, and even when someone shows you their naked body.
This can be one of the most difficult types of sexual abuse to detect, since most of the time it is camouflaged as “a joke.” However, this is an abuse that can cause significant damage to your mental health, so it is important that you act immediately to stop the abuse.
What should I do if I detect any type of sexual abuse?
If you believe that you are being a victim of any of the types of sexual abuse that we talked about above, or know someone who may be suffering from it, you should know that there are many means available in which you can receive support to report the case and break the silence.
You can contact any of the following organizations:
Also, remember that in the Yo Say No Más movement we also provide you with support and a safe space in which you can receive the help you need to overcome any type of sexual abuse. and together we say NO MORE to sexual abuse.