Sexual Assault and Abuse
By: Mariah Helms
What is the difference between Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse?
Sexual Assault is any activity of sexual nature that happens without consent, whereas Sexual Abuse is when an adult or older child forces, tricks, threatens, or bribes a child into sexual activity.
Rape
There are several types of rape, including Date Rape and Statutory Rape. Rape is forced sexual intercourse without consent of the victim. Date Rape is Rape from someone the victim knows, usually after they have been given a date rape drug that causes them to not think clearly. Statutory Rape is any sexual act with a person 13, 14, or 15 years old when you are 4 or more years older, consent or no consent.
Rape can happen to anyone, anywhere, and any gender! A husband can even rape his wife, or vice versa.
Conviction
There are so many different ways to go to prison, or get fined by sexual harassing, abusing, or assaulting someone. In North Carolina, the classifications are:
- First/Second degree rape
- First/Second degree sexual offense
- Sexual Battery
- Statutory Rape
- First/Second degree rape with a minor (person 13, 14, or 15, when perpetrator is 4 or more years older)
- First/Second degree sexual offense with a minor
With minors, even if both of you consent to sexual acts, the oldest one can still be charged!
An act of Sexual Assault can ruin the rest of your life, whether you go to jail or not
You can't use the excuse of marriage or the excuse of being under the influence of a drug or alcohol to try and get out of a charge of Second Degree Rape
Most victims of sexual abuse know the perpetrator