An individual who has experienced sexual violence. This term refiects the belief that an individual's strength has enabled him or her to survive the assault. It also implies that a victim can recover from the impact of sexual assault. Victim An individual who has experienced sexual violence. This term often has a negative connotation because it can imply that experiencing sexual assault permanently damages the individual and limits his or her prospects of recovery from the impact of the assault.
Victims become survivors with time, intervention, and counseling.
This term also can be used to refer to someone who dies as a direct result of sexual assault.