Understanding sexual assault

• Sexual violence encompasses all forms of violence manifested sexually or targeting sexuality, committed against another person without their consent. It includes, but is not limited to, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and sexual cyberviolence.
• Certain factors are associated with sexual violence. Examples include gender inequality, misogyny, sexism, beliefs and attitudes that normalize violence, and socio-economic structures.
• Victims and survivors are never responsible for having experienced sexual violence. Responsibility always lies with the perpetrator.
• The consequences associated with sexual violence are numerous. It can have adverse effects on health, education, employment, and the economy, and can be perpetuated across generations.

Statistics on sexual violence

• Sexual violence is not uncommon. One in three women and nearly one in ten men reported being sexually assaulted after the age of 15 years, according to data from the 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS).*
• Children and young people account for the majority of victims of sexual offences reported by police services in Quebec, including sexual assault and other sexual offences.
• Girls and women are the main victims and survivors of sexual violence, although boys and men are also affected. In 2021, they accounted for almost 90% of victims of sexual assault reported by the police.*
• Sexual violence is most often perpetrated by someone known to the victim. According to police-reported data, sexual assault is committed by a current or former intimate partner, family member, acquaintance, or friend in more than 8 out of 10 cases. In the vast majority of cases, the alleged perpetrator is a boy or a man.*

*These statistics are drawn from analyses between male and female genders only.

Sexual violence and the media

• The way in which the media deal with sexual violence can contribute to people's ideas and perceptions on the subject.
• Using an appropriate, neutral, and precise vocabulary and employing a variety of points of view when covering a specific case of sexual violence, such as calling on experts on the subject, are examples of best practices to ensure appropriate media coverage of sexual violence
• Appropriate media coverage of sexual violence can have positive consequences for victims, survivors, and society. Conversely, inadequate coverage can reinforce social norms that promote discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, or ethno-cultural origin, and contribute to the normalization of violence

Perpetration of sexual violence

• There is no such thing as a typical profile of people who commit sexual violence. There are many factors involved, and the motivations that influence someone to commit sexual violence are diverse.
• Not all perpetrators of sexual violence have the same risk of reoffending, and some interventions show promise in reducing this risk.
• Although men account for the vast majority of perpetrators of sexual violence, women can also commit it. However, their recidivism rate is lower than that of men, and they are more likely to have committed the crime with a male co-accused.

Disclosure of sexual violence

• Disclosing sexual violence is a complex and gradual process. Those who decide to disclose their experiences generally do so to someone close to them.
• Children are less likely to disclose sexual abuse than adults. Disclosure can be voluntary, when the child is aware that they are doing it (following a trigger or not), or involuntary, when the child is unaware that they are doing it, or when a witness does it for them.
• False allegations of sexual abuse are complex, yet rare, especially among children. Only a rigorous investigation based on various sources can facilitate the detection of false allegations in children.
• Reporting to the police and professional help services does not reflect the true extent of cases of sexual violence, as most victims and survivors do not file a report.
• Sexual violence disclosure movements on social media, such as #MeToo (#MoiAussi in French), have provided a new opportunity for many people to disclose their experiences of sexual violence. These online movements have had positive and negative consequences on the mental and physical health of victims and survivors, on the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of the general population, on reports of sexual assault to the police, and on public policy.
• Receiving a disclosure of sexual violence from someone can be difficult for the person who receives it. Responding in a supportive way, such as listening to and believing the victim and survivor who is disclosing, however, can have a positive impact on their recovery

Sexual violence in different contexts

• Sexual violence can occur in the private or public sphere, within the family, in intimate relationships, at school, in sports, or in the workplace.  
• Young athletes may experience sexual violence while participating in their sport or in a sport-related activity. The violence may be committed by a peer athlete, a member of the coaching or support staff, or a spectator.
• Sexual harassment in the workplace can have consequences for both the individuals who experience it and the workplace. It can occur at all hierarchical levels of an organization, be committed by people inside or outside the organization, and take place during working hours or on work-related occasions

Sexual violence prevention

• There are various strategies to prevent sexual violence. Programs to educate young people about sexuality and promote healthy, equal relationships; programs to improve parenting knowledge and skills; public policies aimed at preventing such violence; and laws facilitating access to justice are just a few examples.
• Preventing sexual violence requires significant social change. These changes include promoting norms that foster respectful, positive intimate relationships and gender equality, creating safe living environments, and reducing the risk of sexual offending.

The law and sexual offences

• Several specific forms of sexual violence are offences under the Canadian Criminal Code, such as sexual assault. They are the subject of a number of criminal and civil laws .
• The Canadian Criminal Code sets out a series of sexual offences, including sexual assault and other sexual offences, for which a person may face criminal charges