A number of statutes pertaining to criminal law and civil law apply in the area of sexual violence.
In Canada, sexual assault is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code, and the judicial proceedings for it are the same as those for any other crime against the person.
Preventive strategies are developed to reduce the risk factors and enhance the protective factors associated with sexual violence.
Prevention strategies are developed to reduce the risk factors associated with sexual assault and to reinforce the protective factors.
Prevention strategies are developed to reduce the risk factors associated with sexual assault. To learn which community and societal factors can contribute to sexual assault, see the Risk factors section.
Sexual violence can occur in a variety of contexts, including the family, intimate relationships, school, sports and the workplace. With the increasing use of information technologies, sexual violence can also occur in cyberspace.
Sexual harassment is any form of unwanted verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual or sexist nature that occurs repeatedly or during a single serious incident. It violates fundamental rights, including the rights to equality and human dignity.
Although it is impossible to assess the prevalence of child pornography in cyberspace, it is clear that the easy access to such material and the anonymity provided by the Internet have contributed considerably to increasing the exchange of this type of pornography.
Sexual assault by women accounts for about 5% of all sexual offences.
Current data suggest that sexual abuse in childhood is more prevalent among people who commit sexual assault than among the general public. In addition, it may be slightly more prevalent among people who sexually abuse children.