Sexual Assault Centre

Question 1

Coercion

Answer 1

using pressure, threats, and/or intimidation to force another to give in or submit to sexual activity.

Question 2

Consent

Answer 2

a voluntary agreement of the complainant to engage in the sexual activity in question.
– Consent cannot be given, and is not considered valid, if the person is intoxicated, sleeping, unconscious, or unresponsive

Question 3

Survivor Blame

Answer 3

They put the responsibility on the survivor rather than the perpetrator, this inevitably leads to perpetrator excuse. Blaming the victim means putting the responsibility of being assaulted on them when it was not their fault. Preventing sexual assault often focuses on ‘tips’ to avoid sexual assault which ends up blaming survivors (don’t walk alone at night etc…)

Question 4

Perpetrator Excuse

Answer 4

Making excuses for the perpetrators actions, inevitably leads to survivor blame.

Question 5

Reality:

Answer 5

The survivor is in no way responsible for the assault or for the decisions she/he made leading up to the assault. Regardless of the clothes she/he was wearing, where she/he was, whether she/he was drinking, knew the perpetrator or not, or fought back or did not, the survivor is never to blame for the assault.

Question 6

Prevalence

Answer 6

1/3 women and 1/6 men will experience sexual assault at some point, this disproportionately affects minorities.

Question 7

At the UofA

Answer 7

1/5 students had already experienced sexual assault (20%) in 2001

Question 8

Perpetrator relationship

Answer 8

93% knew their perpetrator

Question 9

Sharing

Answer 9

67% shared their abuse with friends

Question 10

Are these crimes reported?

Answer 10

Majority of them are not