What is Sexual Abuse?
Sexual abuse is any sort of non-consensual sexual activity between two or more people.
Sexual activity between an adult and a child (in New Zealand, a child is anyone under the age of 16) can never be considered consensual, even if the child agrees to the activity.
Sexual activity between an adult and a child (in New Zealand, a child is anyone under the age of 16) can never be considered consensual, even if the child agrees to the activity.
Types of Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse activity can include the following:
- Child sexual abuse. When a perpetrator knowingly harms a minor physically, psychologically, sexually, or by acts of neglect, the crime is known as child abuse
- Intimate partner sexual assault. When someone commits sexual assault against their partner
- Sexual assault of men and boys. In New Zealand, it is estimated that 1 in 6 males experience sexual assault
- Incest. Unwanted sexual activity imposed on a family member
- Substance-assisted sexual assault. The deliberate use of drugs and alcohol in order to weaken or incapacitate a person's ability to resist the sexual advances of another.
What is Child Sexual Abuse?
Child sexual abuse can be defined as: any sexual act with a child performed by an adult or an older child.
Child sexual abuse could include a number of acts, including but not limited to:
Child sexual abuse could include a number of acts, including but not limited to:
- Sexual touching of any part of the body, clothed or unclothed
- Penetrative sex, including penetration of the mouth
- Encouraging a child to engage in sexual activity, including masturbation
- Intentionally engaging in sexual activity in front of a child
- Showing children pornography, or using children to create pornography
- Encouraging a child to engage in prostitution.
Symptoms of Child Sexual Abuse
Parents and adults can watch for behaviour changes in children that may indicate sexual abuse, such as:
- A noticeable fear of a person or certain places
- Unusual response from the child when asked if he or she was touched
- Unreasonable fear of a physical exam
- Drawings that show sexual acts
- Abrupt changes in behavior, such as bed-wetting or losing control of his or her bowels
- Sudden awareness of genitals and sexual acts and words
- Attempting to get other children to perform sexual acts.
NZ Statistics
Sexual assault in New Zealand can be difficult to quantify as it is significantly unreported. Research that has been undertaken indicates that:
- 1 in 3 females will experience unwanted sexual activity by the age of 16
- 1 in 5 women will experience unwanted sexual activity as an adult
- Maori, Pasifika and migrant girls and women experience a much greater incidence of sexual activity than the general population
- 1 in 6 males will experience sexual assault
- Young people in the 16-24 age bracket experience the highest levels of sexual assault
- 90% of sexual assault is perpetuated by someone known to the victim
- It is estimated that only 9% of sexual assault incidences are ever reported to the police
- In 2017, 20% of female and 9% of male secondary school students report having experienced unwanted sexual contact in the last 12 months
- In 2016, there were 2,163 reported sexual assaults against a child aged 16 years or under.
