What Is Sexual Violence
Sexual Violence is blanket term for all forms of sexual assault and harassment. In broad terms, this is any form of unwanted or forced sexual behaviour or act towards another that occurs without consent. Sexual violence includes penetrative and non-penetrative acts including sexual abuse, assault and rape. It can be physical, social, emotional, political, financial or otherwise.
The responsibility for using sexual violence sits with the person using violence - being sexually abused or assaulted is never the fault of the survivor
Information
Sexual assault is any sexual act or attempt to engage in a sexual act that is not freely and voluntarily given
When alcohol or drugs are used to compromise any individual's capacity to consent
Unwelcome sexual behaviour that creates an uncomfortable or threatening environment
While each survivor is unique in their experiences, many will be impacted in similar ways
Sexual consent must be freely given and able to be withdrawn at any time. Absence of no is not a yes
Any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that occurs using technology, often through social media
Sexual Violence in Australia
When a person uses sexual violence against another, they misuse the power they have over them.
Despite the known impacts of sexual violence, the full burden is likely to be hidden due to the shame, stigma, and fear associated with disclosure and reporting; lack of anonymity in rural areas adds to social censorship. Traditional gender roles and structures are oppressive in legitimising, excusing, or even aiding abusers, with allies recruited both offline and online.
​
Australia’s rural region has an ethos of male dominance - idealised images of independent, robust, hardworking men providing for their family. Traditional, old-fashion values that strongly support men’s dominion over women that are now being challenged by a rapid rise in women’s independence and shifting gender roles. Women working in traditionally male roles can create an ‘outsider’ status, and often males may attempt to maintain women’s female status by sexualising the workplace. These sexual propositions and harassment become accepted as a condition of work, and masculinity as upheld as the essence of rural spirit, leading many women to attempt to shed their femininity in their effort to survive the culture. This rural culture also upholds mateships as a valued code of conduct, preventing friends or social groups from speaking up about each other.
Community development theory is premised on the belief that the solution to community problems lies within the community itself. Sexual violence is both a consequence and a cause of marginalisation and disadvantage. We need to change rigid societal beliefs about who is more or less worthy and strive instead for equality. This is critical to dismantling a culture that perpetuates sexual violence and oppression.