A Victim of a Sexual Assault Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Victim of a Sexual Assault - Research Paper Example It is important to understand what a sexual assault means before proceeding to the possible damages that such as crime can attract. Any type of physical contact involving sexual organs that are unwanted is sexual assault. Many people perceive sexual assault as forcible rape, not knowing that it is only a type of sexual assault. This means that there are different types of sexual assaults recognized by the law. Sexual assault may be in the form of rape, inappropriate touching, child molestation, attempted rape, groping, sexual harassment, elderly sexual assault and sexual intercourse where one party says no to or any other sexual activity that a person says no to. The concept of assault comes about if the victim of the sexual ordeal did not consent to the sexual contact that they were subjected to. However, according to Smothers, if the victim is a child or is intoxicated, he or she is not capable of giving legal consent to sexual contact. The sexual ordeal in such a case qualifies to be called a sexual assault. In fact, the law stipulates that sexual assault with a person who is intoxicated becomes sexual assault, regardless of the intoxicating substance that the assault victim was under the influence. These substances may include â€Å"date-rape† drugs, alcohol, drugs or any other intoxicating substances. It is also important to note that if a person feels or thinks that they are a victim of sexual assault by having undergone any of the above ordeals, he or she is advised by the law to inform the police immediately. Reporting is important for many reasons such as preventing the same sexual offender from assaulting others, providing psychological closure for the victim and creating certainty about the victim’