Sexual harassment, rape, catcalling, incest, sexual assault, what do these terms mean and why is it important to differentiate between them?
Let's start with some definitions:
Sexual Assault
The term sexual assault refers to physical sexual contact or behavior that occurs without consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include:
Attempted rape
Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body
Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape
Rape
The term rape is often used as a legal definition to specifically include sexual penetration without consent. The FBI defines rape as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”
Molestation
A general term for non-penetrating sexual assault, generally used when referring to children. Often the term groping is used when referring to an adult.
"Rape Jokes"
A blanket term for jokes referencing any form of sexual harassment or assault as the punch line or main point of the joke.
Incest
Incest is the sexual behavior, relationship, or actions between family members or relatives.
Catcalling
A subjectively offensive way of communicating attraction to another person, often by whistles, shouting or making lewd comments.
Forced Homosexuality/Heterosexuality
Forced homo or heterosexuality is the action of coercing, pressuring, or forcing a person to have sex with a person of the gender they are not attracted to.
Sexual Harassment
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace or learning environment. However, harassment can occur outside of the workplace as well and once the harassment becomes physical, it becomes assault.
I think we can all agree, all forms of sexual violence are wrong and need to be eradicated from our lives, but some of us seem to disagree on how essential recognizing the differences between each of these forms of violence is.
I would first like to start with the fact that sexual harassment is not sexual assault. Though they are both unwelcomed advances, however, harassment is limited to any violence committed outside the body, and assault is violence committed on the body. You may say all sexual violence is sexual assault, but to say this also says that we think bodily violence crimes such as rape or molestation are equally as harmful, vile, and produce the same life-altering after effects as catcalling or rape jokes, and this is plainly not true. How many men go on to become child molesters after telling a rape joke? How many men go on become child molesters after being molested as a child? How many women suffer depression, psychosis, and PTSD from catcalling? How many women suffer depression, psychosis, and PTSD from enduring rape?
If these questions are not enough to see a difference, let's use a different field: Medicine. If we have two diseases, the common cold (catcalling) and cancer (rape), and we say that cancer and the common cold are the same disease, how can we treat either disease properly? We have all had the cold, some have gotten very sick, some aren't effected at all, it can be hard for the sufferers but unless you have an extremely weak immune system, it won't kill you. Some of those who have gone through cancer, not only would never wish the pain on another human being but in some cases would rather take their own lives, and sometimes do. Cancer can be described as an evil, insidious, devil-like force destroying everything in it's path, affecting not only the sufferer but everyone in orbit of them; family, friends, boss/employees. To say the common cold is the same as cancer diminishes the severity of cancer, it piggybacks off the cancer sufferer for sympathy, and it slows the progress of the cure of cancer.
To say sexual harassment is the same as rape diminishes the severity of rape, it piggybacks off the rape sufferer for sympathy, and it slows the progress of the end of rape.
Sources: https://www.rainn.org/