What is "Sexual Assault"?

What EVERYONE Should Know...

According to New Jersey law, sexual assault is defined as any sexual penetration, no matter how slight, without a person’s consent or with a person who is unable to consent. The law also defines sexual assault as sexual contact under specific circumstances, such as age difference.

 Sexual assault can happen to anyone, anywhere. Knowing the facts can help keep you safe.

What is sexual assault?

  • Unwanted fondling, kissing, or sexual touching.
  • Forcing a person to look at pornography or pose for sexual pictures.
  • Forcing a person to have oral sex.
  • Rape or unwanted sexual intercourse.
  • Having sex with someone who is unconscious.
  • Coercing a person into unwanted fondling, kissing, sexual touching, or sexual intercourse.
What do we mean by "forcing a person"?
Force used in rape can take many forms, including:
  • Using physical strength or a weapon
  • Getting a person high or drunk in order to have sex
  • Not listening when the person says no
  • Threats of harm to the person, to others, or to themselves
  • Coercing a person into giving in to sexual acts
Was it too late to say "no"?
A person always has the right to say no, even if:
  • They have been drinking
  • They are dressed in sexy clothes
  • Their date has spent a lot of money
  • They said yes before
  • They have been making out
  • They have been dating for a long time

References
About sexual assault. (2022). Retrieved from NSVRC