Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is any non-consenting sexual act or behavior.

Examples include your partner forcing sexual activity when:

v   You indicate "no" and your limits are not respected

v   You are sleeping

v   You are drunk or high and are unable to say "no"

v   You are afraid to say "no" or when your partner:

v   Insists that you dress in a more sexual way than you wish to dress

v   Makes demeaning remarks about how you dress

v   Makes demeaning remarks about your body and/or body parts

v   Minimizes your feelings about sex

v   Berates you about your sexual history; blames you if you were sexually abused in the past or as a child

v   Criticizes you sexually (calling you "frigid," for example)

v   Insists on touching you sexually when you do not want to be touched, either when the two of you are alone or in the presence of others

v   Calls you a whore or a slut

v   Has affairs with other women (often flaunting them) after agreeing not to have sex with anyone but you

v   Physically attacking sexual parts of your body (grabbing your breasts, pinching your buttocks, any touch that is unwanted)

v   Forcing you to perform any specific sexual act that you do not wish to do (for example oral sex, or acting out pornography