Public Health Issues – Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is an act of physical, emotional or psychological abuse and/or coercion that includes sexual assault and/or rape. Sexual violence has many negative impacts on people’s lives including physical injuries, mental and emotional distress, exposure to sexually transmitted infections and financial difficulties. This makes it a public health issue because the impact of sexual violence extends beyond victims to families, communities and society as a whole.

Anytime someone is forced to have sex against their will it’s considered sexual violence regardless of whether they fight back or not. Sexual violence is often perpetrated by people the victim knows such as friends, family members, neighbours, work colleagues and partners. It can also be committed by strangers. Survivors can be made to feel ashamed of the assault and experience a range of emotions such as fear, anxiety, shock, self-blame, anger and guilt.

Survivors may have a hard time talking about the assault and find it difficult to seek help. This is because they may believe that what happened was their fault – for example they might think it was because of the way they looked, were dressed or because they were drunk or taking drugs. It is important for survivors to know that it was not their fault. They are not to blame and it was never their fault. It is also important to remember that sexual violence, rape and abuse can happen to anyone – men, women, boys, girls and people who define themselves as non-binary and transgender.

Research shows that women and girls are most likely to be victims of sexual violence but men and boys can also be victims. Sexual violence can be perpetrated by people of all ages, cultures, sexual orientations and faiths. It can happen to people living in poverty and it can be the result of discrimination based on gender, race, skin tone, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, social class, language, education level, religion and political opinion.

The scale of sexual violence is hidden as it is not always reported to police. The data we have comes from a mix of sources including police, clinical settings, surveys and nongovernmental organizations. Sexual violence affects all ages, but it is more prevalent among young people and more common in urban areas.

Preventing sexual violence is everyone’s responsibility. Prevention starts with promoting safe behaviours and healthy relationships, respecting and believing survivors and intervening to stop harmful behaviour. It is also about creating communities and environments that are free from discrimination, stigma and oppression. Being a prosocial bystander means knowing when to get involved and how to safely intervene. It is about recognising when situations are escalating and empowering others to take charge of the situation.