Sexual assault can include many other definitions, but as a whole, can be defined as unwanted sexual contact that stops short of rape or attempted rape. This includes sexual touching and fondling. 

Forms of sexual assault can include the following:

  • Sexual Contact: Any touching to the intimate parts underneath the clothes of someone who is eighteen years of age (if under the age of eighteen, click here), or intentionally causing this person to touch one’s intimate parts without the persons explicit consent. 
  • Sexual Coercion: persuading someone to engage in a sexual activity they do not want to do by using force or intimidation.
  • Attempted Rape: An attempt to complete criminal sexual penetration with the victim.
  • Rape or Criminal Sexual Penetration: “The unlawful and intentional causing of a person to engage in sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, or anal intercourse, or the causing of penetration to any extent and with any object, of the genital or anal openings of another, whether or not there is any emission. (NM Statute 20-9-11)

Who Are the Perpetrators?

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Source: RAINN

Who Are the Victims?

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  • Victims can be ALL ages.
  • 1 out of every 6 women and 1 out of every 10 men, have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
  • 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.
  • 2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape.
  • In college,  you have a 100% chance of meeting somebody who has been a victim of sexual violence while in college.

Source: RAINN 

Warning Signs

The 5 I’s 

  • Invasion: Perpetrators often invade personal space visually, verbally and physically.
  • Ignoring: Perpetrators of sexual assault often ignore verbal and non-verbal communication.
  • Isolation: Perpetrators are often creative and subtle in their attempts to get someone alone.
  • Intoxication: Perpetrators often use alcohol or drugs to make someone vulnerable or as an excuse for their own behavior.
  • Instincts: It is not uncommon for people to dismiss or forget about listening to their instincts when they know or trust the person they are with.

Date Rape Drugs

  • Alcohol is the # 1 drug most used to facilitate sexual assault.
  • Most common date rape drugs do not have scent and can go unnoticed when mixed with a beverage.
  • Ketamine horse tranquilizer; causes aggressive behavior.
  • GHB recipe easily accessible; can cause coma or death.
  • Visit our Other Drugs page for more information!

Respect & Consent Are Sexy

  • Remember, get consent. If you experience mixed signals, do not read this as a “yes”.
  • Always use bystander intervention when you see someone verbally or physically violating another’s space.
  • Don’t join in if friends encourage you in paying unwanted sexual attention to another person-man or woman.
  • Don’t stare at, whistle at, talk to, or look over a person in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.
  • Women have the right to change and set limits on sexual behavior just as men do.
  • Never think you owe someone sex under any circumstances; sexual intercourse is not a payback for anything!
  • Be aware of how you or your friends treat others.
  • Never voice, believe or support the idea that the other person “wanted” or “asked for it”.

If you are assaulted, remember, it is NOT your Fault!

In the Event of a Sexual Assault:

  1. Get to a safe place.
  2. Call someone you trust (La Piñon has victim advocates in case you need someone, as well as support groups and counseling. ).
  3. Avoid washing body, combing hair, changing clothes, or changing anything at the scene of the assault. (While this can be difficult, its important for the collection of evidence.) 
  4. Go to an emergency room or call La Piñon for the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examination) unit.
  5. Call the police if you want to file a report. (La Piñon will help you file a report, if you choose to do so.) 
  6. If you choose,  you can file a report with the Office of Institutional Equity. 

Ways to help: 

Speak up against attitudes and behaviors that degrade others.

Always remember to be an ACTIVE bystander by stepping in and doing something if you see an assault happening. 

If someone tells you they have been assaulted, believe them. You may be the first person they are telling. 

Know what to do if someone says they have been assaulted. 

Resources:

On-Campus Counseling

Check with the Aggie Health & Wellness Center at 646-1512 for individual counseling.