Assault, abuse, harassment, and rape are all forms of sexual violence or misconduct, but each is distinct. Yet even though they are all distinct legal concepts, they are essentially boil down to
an unwanted sexual touching or threat of sexual touching.
Assault refers to any behavior that either threatens, attempts, or causes physical harm to another person. Sexual assault includes any violation of a person’s bodily autonomy, including grabbing or groping without the other person’s consent. The term sexual battery is often used
interchangeably with a sexual assault.
Abuse is an ongoing behavior that violates another person’s boundaries and causes emotional, mental, and/pr physical distress stemming from sexual acts.
Harassment targets someone with unwanted attention including unwanted sexual advances, requests for sex, offensive sexual comments, or other behavior that creates a sexually-hostile environment.
Rape is sexual assault that typically involves penetration, including oral sex, without consent.