Definitions

What is Sexual Violence?

Any non-Consensual sexual act, including but not limited to rape, sexual assault, sexual battery and sexual coercion. Sexual Violence also includes Relationship Violence.

What is Sexual Assault/Sexual Misconduct?

Any act of sexual violence, including but not limited to rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, and sexual coercion.

What is stalking?

Any knowing or intentional course of conduct involving repeated or continued following, threatening or intimidating another by telephone, mail, electronic communication, social media, in person or any other action, device or method that 1) would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress or fear of bodily injury or death and 2) actually causes such person substantial emotional distress or fear of bodily injury or death.

What is Relationship Violence?

Any physical, sexual and/or psychological harm against an individual by a current or former intimate or romantic partner. Intimate or romantic partners may be dating, cohabiting, married, separated or divorced, and may be of the same or opposite sex.

What is Domestic Violence?

Any act of violence or coercion committed by a current or former spouse of an individual, current or former cohabitant, person similarly situated under domestic or family violence law, or anyone else protected under domestic or family violence law.

What is Sexual Consent?

Sexual activity requires consent, which is defined as clear, unambiguous, and voluntary agreement between the participants to engage in a specific sexual activity. Consent cannot be inferred simply from the absence of a “no”; a clear yes, verbal or otherwise is necessary.

Consent cannot be obtained from someone who is asleep or otherwise mentally or physically incapacitated, whether due to alcohol, drugs or some other condition. Consent cannot be obtained by threat, coercion or force. Agreement given under such conditions does not constitute consent.

Consent can be revoked at any time.