TOPICS

• Definitions
• Getting Help
• Filing a Report
• Resources

Any form of sexual assault, including but not limited to rape, are considered serious crimes. Sexual Assault is a crime of violence where sex is the means of assault which includes any forced, unwanted and non consensual contact or activity including touching, kissing, exhibition and intercourse. Sexual assault can also be a brutally destructive attack on the victim’s sense of personal integrity and competence. The University of Texas at EL Paso takes allegations of sexual seriously and encourages you to report any acts of sexual assault, rape, acquaintance rape, date rape, stranger rape, partner rape, same rape and gang rape to the proper to either the UTEP Police Department or the Office of Student Life immediately.

You are not to blame regardless of the circumstances surrounding the sexual assault, even if:

• You were drinking, had drunk too much, or used drugs prior to the assault.
• If you were on a date or the attacker was a friend, classmate, boyfriend or ex-boyfriend or spouse.
• If you have been sexually intimate with the perpetrator or others prior to the assault.
• If you had sex with the perpetrator or others prior to the assault.
• If you were unable to fight back or say “no”
• If you were wearing provocative clothing
• If you were at a bar or club

Definitions

The terms “Sexual Assault” and “Rape” are often used interchangeably and deciphering between the two often leads to confusion. Although the majority of rapes are perpetrated by males against females as acts of vaginal, anal or oral penetration, the term “sexual assault” refers to a range of sexually violent acts including rape.

Sexual Assault
Any sexual act perpetrated against another person’s will, forcibly or through coercive actions, or not forcibly or against the person’s will but where the victim is incapable of giving full consent (they are unconscious – drug or alcohol induced, they have a mental impairment, etc). Sexual assault includes forced physical contact of an intimate part of the body that is sexual in nature. This may include the unwanted touching, directly on skin or through clothing, of an intimate part of another person which includes the genitalia area or sexual organs, the groin, the buttocks and/or the breasts with one’s body or with an object for the purpose of arousing or gratifying one’s own sexual desire or for the purpose of causing physical or emotional harm. Forced contact may include physical violence, physical coercion or manipulation, threat of physical harm or injury, or the intentional use of substances including alcohol, the use of GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine or other “date rape” drugs, to create a defenseless victim.

Rape
Any act of non-consensual sexual intercourse requiring penetration of the genitals, anus or mouth, however slight, that is perpetrated against a person’s will by means of force, violence, coercion, duress, menace, the fear of immediate physical harm, or through manipulation. Rape may include the non-consensual penetration of the genitals, anus or mouth of one by the genitals or fingers of another, or by an instrument used by another person. This may include vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse (sodomy), oral sex, or non-consensual sexual penetration of genital or anal openings by a foreign object, including a finger. Non-consensual sexual intercourse may take many forms including, but not limited to, rape by a stranger, an acquaintance, friend, classmate, boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, husband, while on a date, rape by multiple perpetrators (often referred to as “gang rape”) and may occur both on and off campus

Acquaintance Rape
Any act of non-consensual sexual intercourse (requiring penetration, however slight, of the genitals, anus, or mouth of one by the genitals or fingers of another, or by an instrument used by another person) occurring against a person’s will by means of force, violence, duress, or fear of bodily injury. Often these sexual acts are accomplished through the use of coercive actions including manipulation, pressuring, alcohol or date rape drugs. These sexual activities are perpetrated by someone the victim knows such as a friend, date, acquaintance, or classmate. According to RAINN (2007) there are three stages of acquaintance rape

Three Stages of Acquaintance Rape

• Intrusion- Includes violations of the victim’s personal space and level of comfort through “accidental” touching, inappropriate stares or through unsolicited personal revelations
• Desensitization- The victim no longer feels threatened or uncomfortable with the offender. The victim discounts any feelings of discomfort he/she may still have and dismisses feelings of uneasiness as unwarranted
• Isolation- The offender uses victim’s trust to isolate him/her from others.

Date Rape
Date Rape is a form of acquaintance rape and is defined as non-consensual sexual penetration, however slight which is perpetrated by someone you know and usually occurs in a date-type setting. Often times, date rapes are perpetrated through manipulation or coercive acts and involve the use of alcohol or drugs

Stranger Rape
Defined as non-consensual sexual penetration, however slight, perpetrated by someone who is unknown to you. Often times, stranger rapes involve the use of force or threat of force and the presence of a weapon

Gang Rape
Defined as non-consensual sexual intercourse (including vaginal, anal or oral penetration, however slight) by a body part or use of an object of another person,  perpetrated by more than one, including multiple assailants.

Same-Sex Rape
Defined as   non-consensual sexual intercourse (including vaginal, anal or oral penetration, however slight) by a body part or an object of another person by someone of the same sex