Sexual Violence
By Florida definition, “Sexual violence” means any one incident of:
- Sexual battery, as defined in chapter 794;
- A lewd or lascivious act, as defined in chapter 800, committed upon or in the presence of a person younger than 16 years of age;
- Luring or enticing a child, as described in chapter 787;
- Sexual performance by a child, as described in chapter 827; or
- Any other forcible felony wherein a sexual act is committed or attempted. (6)
In a nationally representative survey of adults (2012):
Facts About Male Sexual Violence
- Men and boys can be victims of sexual violence as children, teens or as adults.
- The sexual abuse of boys has nothing to do with an abuser’s or victim’s sexual orientation.
- Most perpetrators of male sexual assault are men, and they rape both gay and straight men or boys because rape is an act of violence, not of sexual desire.
- Girls and women can sexually abuse boys. The boys are not “lucky,” but exploited and harmed.
- Most boys who are sexually abused will not go on to sexually abuse others.
- Some men are assaulted by a stranger, or a group of strangers, while others may be assaulted by someone they know.
- Some attackers use weapons, physical force, or the threat of force to gain the upper hand. Others may use blackmail or their position of authority to threaten someone into submission.
- No matter how it occurs, it is a violation of a man’s body and his free will and it can have lasting emotional consequences. (8)
- Nearly 1 in 5 (18.3%) women and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) reported experiencing rape at some time in their lives.
- Approximately 1 in 20 women and men (5.6% and 5.3%, respectively) experienced sexual violence other than rape, such as being made to penetrate someone else, sexual coercion, unwanted sexual contact, or non-contact unwanted sexual experiences, in the 12 months prior to the survey.
- 4.8% of men reported they were made to penetrate someone else at some time in their lives.
- 13% of women and 6% of men reported they experienced sexual coercion at some time in their lives. (7)
Where Can I Go for Help?
The Ocala Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Center provides:
(352) 622-8495 / (352) 622-5919
- Immediate response to rape victims – 24 hours a day.
- Crisis counseling by telephone or face to face intervention; case management; victim/court advocacy.
- Nurse practitioners on call 24 hours a day to perform rape examinations at The Rape Crisis Center. Victims may have a rape exam whether or not they report to law enforcement.
- Personal assistance and support during medical examinations, police involvement and legal proceedings.
- On-going support for victims, their families and friends.
- Assistance applying for Victim Crime Compensation (financial assistance from the State of Florida).
- Coordination of community services and community resources.
- Special counseling for younger children. (9)