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.
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:
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.