SEXUAL VIOLENCE

 

By Florida definition, “Sexual violence” means any one incident of:

  1. Sexual battery, as defined in chapter 794;

  2. 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;

  3. Luring or enticing a child, as described in chapter 787;

  4. Sexual performance by a child, as described in chapter 827; or

  5. 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?

  • 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. 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)