Understanding types of sexual abuse

Sexual abuse, assault, and violence is both a growing and pervasive problem in the UK. Both children and adults across the nation experience sexual abuse, which can lead to feelings of regression, fear, shock, sadness, anxiety, depression, and even suicide.

In addition to therapy, social support, and coping skills or mechanisms, legal help is also available to help people deal with sexual abuse and get their life back on track. Read through the topics below to gain a better understanding of sexual abuse and what you can do about it as a survivor.

• What are the signs of sexual abuse?
• What counts as sexual abuse?
• What is sexual abuse adults?
• What is sexual abuse in a relationship?
• What is sexual abuse in health and social care?
• How many types of sexual abuse are there?
• What is ritual sexual abuse?
• Is FGM sexual abuse?
• Is grooming sexual abuse?
• Is groping sexual abuse?
• Is indecent exposure sexual abuse?

What are the signs of sexual abuse?

Knowing the signs of sexual abuse in both children and adults can help them to cope with the incident(s), giving them a voice which can not only help aid their recovery but also establish grounds for legal action to get the appropriate compensation.

Signs & symptoms in young children

• A noticeable decline in communication or overall talking frequency
• Demonstrate sexualised behaviour
• Unexplained marks, bruises, or injuries
• Clinging to specific people and/or objects more than usual
• Losing interest in studies, school, friends, hobbies
• Distrust of authority
• Excessive curiosity around or desire to discuss sexual topics
• Showing an unusually high amount of knowledge around sexual topics or sexual acts
• Not wanting to be left alone anywhere, no matter what the place or occasion
• Behavioural changes such as becoming more rebellious or complaining more than usual
• Reluctant to change into fresh clothes or partake in any activity that requires changing clothes, such as after a shower or after playing indoors/outdoors

Signs & symptoms in teenagers

• A noticeable increase in risky or rebellious behaviour, including risky sexual behaviour
• Changes in personality
• Distrust of authority
• Unexplained marks, bruises, or injuries
• Significant changes in weight, including rapid weight loss or rapid weight gain
• Use of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants
• Showing either little or no interest whatsoever in interests, hobbies, and activities previously considered fun and engaging
• Changes in social habits, including spending time with ‘new’ friends or ending friendships suddenly
• Changing in personal hygiene habits, including showering excessively or not at all

Signs of sexual abuse in adults (both young and old)

Signs of sexual abuse in young and mature adults may be categorised under the following:

• PTSD – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a common symptom of sexual abuse in adults which may include restlessness and agitation, fear or anger, disliking specific places, sounds, people, smells, situations, places, etc., going into “fight or flight” response without warning, and emotional outbursts.
• Interpersonal relationship issues – These may include bottling up feelings of resentment, difficulty establishing boundaries, consistently feeling stressed in a relationship, fear of intimacy, inability to trust other people, and fear of being alone.
• Physical and mental trauma – Physical and mental signs of sexual abuse in adults can include sexual dysfunction, self-destructive behaviours, obesity including compulsive eating or eating disorders, immune system disorders, digestive issues, chronic pain, lethargy and inability to focus or concentrate, joint pain, depression, unexplained anxiety, gynaecological disorders, sleep disorders, and persistent headaches.

What counts as sexual abuse?

According to the British Charity, Rape Crisis, sexual abuse or assault is when a person is touched inappropriately without their consent or when that person is made to touch another person in a sexually inappropriate manner, and again, without their consent.

This can include unwanted touching, caressing, and kissing someone’s genitals, breasts, bottom or other intimate area, with or without clothes.

No one ever asks for or deserves sexual abuse – 100% of the time, the perpetrator is to blame. Sexual abuse and/or assault is a serious crime in the UK which can carry up to a 10-year prison sentence, including a heavy fine.

If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, please don’t hesitate to contact our solicitor. After confirming the sexual abuse, they will fight tooth and nail to ensure that you get the justice and the rightful monetary compensation you deserve.

What is sexual abuse in adults?

UK courts classify adult sexual abuse in the following way:

When a person exerts power/control over another person aged 18 or older, and in a way that harms or exploits them, or causes distress, then such actions or behaviour may be described as sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse in adults of any kind may be one-off or it may be over a sustained timeframe.

What is sexual abuse in a relationship?

Sexual abuse in adult relationships is often referred to as intimate partner sexual violence and refers to unwanted sexual advances made against the victim’s consent or will – or where the victim has been subjected to sexual abuse through threats, sulking, or blackmail.

This may include without limitation:

• Held down or subdued during sex without consent
• Forced to have sex with someone while the perpetrator watches or witnesses the sexual abuse
• Purposely hurt someone during sex
• Forced to dress in a way not liked by the victim
• Forced to watch pornography or sexually explicit imagery, either during sex or otherwise
• Forcefully taking nude photos or recording videos of the victim without their consent
• Giving drugs, alcohol or other substances to make the victim submit into sex

Sexual abuse in a relationship may also manifest in the form of coercion – that is, manipulation and control, which may look like:

• Pushing you to do things even though you said “no” or made it clear through gestures or otherwise that you are afraid or hesitant to do those things
• Making you feel guilty or ‘bad’ if you say no to sex due to being ill, injured, or tired/exhausted
• Punishing you either emotionally or otherwise if you don’t agree to or don’t go along with what they want
• Insulting you in sexually inappropriate ways, including name-calling
• Refusing to talk to you or making you feel guilty if you say no to sex
• Making you feel like sex is expected or that you owe it to them

Sexual abuse in a relationship is not uncommon and can happen to anyone. If you have or are experiencing any kind of sexual abuse in your intimate relationship, our friendly solicitors are always available to assist.

What is sexual abuse in health and social care?

Health and social care is also having its “Me Too” moment, with appalling and often shocking examples of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse surfacing from time to time.

In the healthcare and social care industry, sexual abuse is no different from abuse in other situations or scenarios and, therefore, legally it is defined as the same:

Unwanted conduct of a sexual or sexually inappropriate nature with the intention of violating another person’s dignity or creating an environment where the victim feels degraded, intimidated, violated, or humiliated in a sexual way.

Sexual harassment, abuse, and assault has long been a problem in healthcare and social care, with both staff members being subjected to abuse by others in the organisation, and patients being abused by staff members.

As such, boundaries need to be established, which means both healthcare/social care staff workers and patients must be aware of such boundaries, what qualifies as a boundary violation, and when to know that sexual abuse has taken place.

Whether you’re a professional working in healthcare or social care, or a patient who has undergone or currently undergoing treatment – if you believe you’ve been subjected to sexual abuse, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly, compassionate, and understanding solicitors.

How many types of sexual abuse are there?

Although there are two basic types of sexual abuse – contact and non-contact – experts have identified many different types to help victims or survivors better understand which type of abuse they have been subjected to:

Sexual harassment can include the use of words (both spoken and written) to imply, express, or invoke inappropriate sexual content. Sexual harassment in a social setting or at work. Crude humour or banter is sometimes use to mask sexual harassment, which can include sexual jokes and teasing, commenting on someone’s physical traits, giving graphic sexual descriptions, making unwanted romantic or sexual advances via texts, phone calls, or in person, and sexual name-calling.

Sexual abuse is when a person makes the ‘victim’ commit a sexual act that they do not wish to, either through coercing or pressuring, or forcefully. Both children and adults may be subjected to sexual abuse, where, in all cases, it is never the survivor’s fault as many a times they are not aware that sexual abuse is occurring, until their rights have been violated, that is.

Image based abuse can be described as being exposed to sexually explicit content, either through images and videos or in-person. This includes exposing, exhibiting or flashing of the private parts, either in-person or through images and/or videos, sexting, wearing inappropriate clothes, and performing sexual acts in the presence of the non-consenting individual, such as touching the private parts, making sexual gestures, or masturbating.

Covert sexual abuse happens without the victim’s or non-consenting individual’s knowledge. This may include being secretly watched or observed, followed or stalked (either physically or online), photographed, or cyber-harassment with the intent of sexually abusing the non-consenting individual. Covert sexual abuse is typically characterised by attempts made by the perpetrator to gain sexual satisfaction or gratification from the victim without them ever knowing or finding out.

Ritualistic sexual abuse is a form of sexual abuse mixed with some kind of ritual or spiritual practice. In most cases of ritualistic sexual abuse, the perpetrator tends to justify his/her actions by convincing the victim that what’s happening is, in fact, some kind of penance, worship, or holy act meant to benefit them. Ritualistic sexual abuse may include, incest rituals, child marriage, genital mutilation in females, and incantations or chants during the abuse.

What is ritual sexual abuse?

Ritual sexual abuse in both children and adults can lead to severe psychological effects, although the prevalence of this kind of abuse can be difficult to ascertain as the child or adult survivors often do not openly acknowledge that they were abused.

The term ‘ritual abuse’ or ‘ritual sexual abuse’ refers to a kind of abuse that occurs as a result of activities which have religious, supernatural, or superstitious connotations attached to them. Ritual sexual abuse is an organised criminal act and often involves multiple offenders or perpetrators, where the abuse may focus on a single victim or multiple victims, as part of a rite or ceremony.

During ritual sexual abuse, the use of drugs, alcohol, restrain, torture, as well as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are not unheard of. Ritual abuse tends to be insidious as it is repeated over time – in many cases, it is a trans-generational issue, which means the secrecy surrounding such rituals or ceremonies makes it potentially difficult to detect and for the abuse cycle to be broken.

If you or anyone you know has been a part of activities where magical, religious, supernatural, or ritualistic connotations were used to abuse, frighten or intimidate, please get in touch.

Our solicitors specialising in ritual sexual abuse cases are always available for a confidential one-to-one consultation where your privacy is always treated as the highest priority.

Is FGM sexual abuse?

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also sometimes inaccurately called ‘female circumcision’, is an internationally-recognised human rights violation. It is illegal in both England and Wales.

According to estimates published by the British charity, Rape Crisis, an estimated 20,000+ girls under the age of 15 are at risk of FGM each year. Furthermore, 66,000 women in the country are estimated to be living with the consequences FGM procedures.

Under current scientific research, FGM has no health benefits and may lead to a variety of long-term health problems, both physical and psychological.

According to the BHSCP (Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership) and other similar organisations working to protect the rights of children, FGM is a form of child abuse. Let’s take a moment to understand why this is.

During female genital mutilation where the painful procedure is often carried out under no formal anaesthesia or antiseptic measures, and by someone who has no medical training, using just a pair of scissors, scalpels, razor blades, or knives.

FGM may lead to long-term damage to a child’s physical, mental, and emotional health, and it is illegal in the UK. It is also illegal for both UK nationals and those under permanent UK residency to travel abroad in order to force their own child or someone else’s to undergo FGM.

Female genital mutilation is a serious health concern and a violation of the child’s rights. Girls who have been subjected to FGM may experience emotional and psychological after effects including:

• Shock, depression, and anxiety
• Problems sleeping
• Self-harming behaviour such as cutting oneself or attempts at suicide
• Nightmares
• Flashbacks of the account

FGM may also cause serious physical harm to the victim, including:

• Bleeding, cysts, and abscesses
• Potentially serious health complications during both pregnancy and childbirth
• Menstrual problems
• Severe pain from time to time or constant pain
• Risk of infertility
• Organ damage
• Infections such as HIV, tetanus, Hepatitis B & C, urinary infections, etc.
• Difficulties urinating/incontinence
• Difficulty or pain during sex

If your child or someone else’s child, such as a friend, family, relative or associate, has been subjected to FGM, please get in touch with our solicitors without delay.

Is ‘grooming’ sexual abuse?

‘Grooming’ refers to behaviours to control and/or manipulate a child, including their family, next of kin, and carers, in order to initiate child sexual abuse.

So, yes, grooming is a form of child sexual abuse and exploitation. The general intent behind this kind of grooming is to:

• Gain the child’s trust, compliance, and cooperation
• Maintain their silence
• Gain access to their personal space in order to perpetrate sexual abuse
• Obtain sexual material on the child to manipulate or control them later
• Avoid discovery of the sexual abuse and exploitation

Sexual grooming can be done either in-person or online. To better understand the warning signs and symptoms of sexual abuse related to grooming, please get in touch with our friendly and approachable solicitors now.

Is groping sexual abuse?

Any kind of sexual abuse or assault where the perpetrator makes sexual advances towards the victim without their consent is considered a “crime of violence” by UK authorities. This includes groping.

Groping is a generic term which describes the act of sexually touching someone without their consent. A casual brush against the shoulder or holding someone by the arm or hand is not considered groping. However, intentionally touching, brushing against, or grabbing someone in an inappropriate way, such as touching the genitals, buttocks, legs, breasts or other private/intimate areas, whether over or under clothing, is groping.

Is indecent exposure sexual abuse?

Indecent exposure or ‘flashing’ is when a person reveals their private parts, including their genitals, to another person, whether in-person or online, in order to upset, scare, manipulate, or intimidate them. The term ‘cyber flashing’ specifically refers to indecent exposure happening online or over text messages.

Indecent exposure is a form of sexual abuse. It is a crime as it can not only upset or scare the victim, but also have a highly adverse impact on their long-term mental wellbeing.

No one ever deserves or asks for indecent exposure – in ALL of the cases, the perpetrator(s) is to blame. Flashing or indecent exposure can happen to anyone at any time, be it a public or private venue.

Exposing the genitals with the intention of harming, distressing, upsetting, frightening, or manipulating someone is a crime according to the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Flashing and especially cyber flashing is becoming more and more common nowadays, unfortunately, with perpetrators using a variety of mediums to attack victims, including:

• WhatsApp and other messaging and/or video calling apps
• Text messaging
• Dating apps and websites
• Video calls
• Email
• Nearby Share, Airdrop, or other apps where image/video files can be exchanged between two people

Indecent exposure can carry a prison sentence and a fine. If you or any of your close friends, relatives, or acquaintances have been the victim of flashing/cyber flashing, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our expert solicitors.