Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is the experience of unwanted sexual touch, sexual assault, or sexual harassment perpetrated by an individual or group of individuals. Sexual touch can include intercourse, attempted intercourse, fondling directly or through clothes, oral–genital contact, exhibitionism, or exposing children to inappropriate sexual material such as pornography or adult sexual behavior. Sexual abuse can occur as a one-time event or may be an ongoing experience. Estimates range from 16% to 25% of women and from 6% to 20% of men will experience some form of sexual abuse during their lifetime. In communities where sexual abuse is used as a weapon of war or occupation those estimates may be higher.

The effects of both childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual abuse impact psychological, physical, sexual, relational, and ...