When we talk about abuse and sexual violence, both concepts are often confused because they are a act in which the integrity of a person is attacked. However, the reality is that they are two completely different issues, but they are still a crime punishable by law around the world.
If we focus on the statistics, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 billion children between the ages of 2 and 17, worldwide, have been victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, while, according to the BBC, one in five women and one in 71 men have suffered an act of rape .
But, if both are crimes that can sexually attack a person, how are they different? In this article we tell you which are the main differences between abuse and sexual violenceso that you are aware of your surroundings and know when to report a case of this type.
What is sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse refers to any act in which a person or minor suffers any type of act of sexual nature by an abuser, which is usually carried out by force, but does not necessarily have to include sexual penetration.
This can occur with inappropriate caresses, comments with a highly sexual content against a person, touching their private parts, etc., which are also usually carried out under threats to the victim, so that they do not say anything about what happened and it remains secret.
According to the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, at least 40% of adolescent girls in the world have suffered some type of sexual abuse at some stage of his life.
The penalties for committing this crime depend on the country you are in, however, they are generally fines in less serious cases, or even prison sentences and even life sentences when the crime is committed against a child under 10 years of age. .
In recent years, several cases of sexual abuse have become public in different parts of the world, such as the case of the United States Olympic gymnasts, who reported abuse by the former doctor of the gymnastics team of the same country.
However, it is also true that there are many other thousands of cases of sexual abuse that are not known or reported before the authorities, due to the same fear that abusers generate in victims, creating all kinds of threats so that they do not talk about the issue or report it.
What is sexual violence?
Regarding sexual violence, this crime is very similar to the previous one, but it is much more serious and leads to strong criminal punishments in some countries. In this case we are not talking about caresses or inappropriate comments, but directly about the act of non-consensual sexual penetration.
That is, when a person is forcibly forced to have sexual relations with an abuser, it is a sexual violation. Furthermore, this act is usually perpetrated with physical violence, seriously affecting the health of the victim.
Worldwide, rape statistics are just as alarming as in the case of sexual abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that between 10 and 30% of women between 15 and 49 years of age have suffered a first forced sexual experience.
On the other hand, UN Women establishes that 70% of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a romantic partner during his life.
This type of crime leads to legal sanctions that, depending on the country in which it is committed, may even include the death penalty for the abuser, depending on the severity of the specific case. Furthermore, the most serious penalties are usually applied when the victim is a minor.
Differences in sexual abuse and violence
Now that we have talked a little about each topic and you understand the context in which both crimes can occur, below we mention the specific characteristics that make these two types of sexual assault different:
sexual abuse:
- Force or physical violence is not necessarily used on the victim.
- It can occur with caresses or comments with a high sexual content.
- It may not include sexual penetration, although there are cases in which it is performed.
- Penalties can range from fines to years in prison, depending on the legislation of the place where the crime is committed and its severity.
Sexual violence:
- Force is used to force the victim to have sexual relations against their will.
- We talk about sexual violence when there is penetration that can be oral, vaginal or anal.
- The penalties are usually much more serious, even leading to life sentences or the death penalty, depending on the country in which the crime was committed.
Although there are clear differences between both crimes, both are abominable acts that can lead to seriously affect the physical and mental health of the victimespecially when it comes to minors, who unfortunately tend to be the target of many abusers.
The call is always not to remain silent. If you have a story of sexual abuse or violence that you want to share and report, in the movement # We are here to provide you with the help you need. Don’t let an act of sexual abuse end your dreams! and together let’s raise our voice against sexual abuse in the world.