What is Sexual Violence?
Sexual violence is when someone forces or manipulates an individual into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Sexual violence is about using sexual acts to control, humiliate, and harm another person; it can be any act (verbal and/or physical) which breaks a person’s trust and/or safety and is sexual in nature. Sexual desire does NOT cause someone to want to force sex upon another person. It’s an act of violence and power, not sex. When a victim is being assaulted, s/he has no control.
- Rape: includes assault by your spouse, partner, date, or acquaintance
- Unwanted sexual contact/touching
- Sexual harassment
- Showing one’s genitals or naked body to other(s) without consent
- Sexual assault against a child
- Incest
- Voyeurism: Watching someone in a private act without their knowledge or permission
- Ritual abuse
Human Trafficking Indicators
- Does the person appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship?
- Has a child stopped attending school?
- Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?
- Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?
- Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?
- Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing?
- Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive?
- Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?
- Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to?
- Does the person appear to be coached on what to say?
- Is the person living in unsuitable conditions?
- Does the person lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation?
- Does the person have freedom of movement? Can the person freely leave where they live? Are there unreasonable security measures?
Not all indicators listed above are present in every human trafficking situation, and the presence or absence of any of the indicators is not necessarily proof of human trafficking.
