Key Facts About Sexual Violence

What is Sexual Violence?

Sexual violence is a broad term that encompasses all forms of physical or psychological violence of a sexual nature, including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, online sexual violence, child luring, juvenile prostitution, pimping and female genital mutilation. Regardless of the form it takes, sexual violence has serious consequences for victims, their loved ones, and society as a whole. It can happen to children and teenagers from all social backgrounds and cultures.

In Québec

50 %

of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18. Of these, 13% are under 5 years old.

1 in 5 girls

report having been victims of sexual violence.

1 in 10 boys

report having been victims of sexual violence.

Statistics on Sexual Violence

More than 25% of teenagers report having taken a nude or sexually suggestive photo of themselves.
Nearly 40% of child victims of sexual assault supported by Marie-Vincent report experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
Despite their young age, 65% of children seen at Marie-Vincent are victims of severe sexual assault.
99% of sexual assaults experienced by children at Marie-Vincent were committed by someone they knew. In nearly 75% of cases, the perpetrator was a member of their immediate or extended family.

Sources: Cyr, M. (2014). Les facteurs influençant la révélation. In M. Cyr, Recueillir la parole de l’enfant témoin ou victime. De la théorie à la pratique, p. 7-27, DUNOD, Paris. / Tourigny, M., & Baril, K. (2011). Les agressions sexuelles durant l’enfance. Ampleur et facteurs de risque. In M. Hébert, M. Cyr and M. Tourigny (eds.), Les agressions sexuelles envers les enfants, Volume 1 (p. 7-50). Ste-Foy: Presses de l’Université du Québec.

What is Sexual Assault?

Sexual assault includes:

Any act of a sexual nature, with or without physical contact.
An act committed without the victim’s consent or through emotional manipulation or coercion.
An act that subjects a person to another’s desires through an abuse of power, the use of force, coercion, or explicit or implicit threats.
A violation of fundamental rights, including physical or psychological integrity and personal safety.

Sexual assault can involve one or multiple sexual acts, such as:

Touching
Sexual kissing
Masturbation
Oral-genital contact
Penetration or attempted penetration
Other sexual activities
Exhibitionist behaviour
Voyeuristic behaviour

What is Sexual Exploitation?

Sexual exploitation includes various situations where an adult or older teenager takes advantage of a younger child or adolescent for sexual purposes in exchange for some form of gain, whether financial or otherwise. Exploiters often take advantage of the victim’s vulnerability or dependence, using force, power, manipulation, or threats to lure them.

Forms of sexual exploitation include: pimping, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, child and juvenile pornography, online sexual violence, and child luring.

What is Child Luring?

Child luring occurs when a person grooms and manipulates a minor under 18 years old, using the internet or digital technologies, with the intention of committing a sexual assault.

What is Online Sexual Violence?

Online sexual violence is a form of sexual violence that takes place using digital communication technologies, such as the internet, social media, and text messaging. It may involve sexual advances, attempts to obtain sexual favours or relationships, and the dissemination of sexual messages, photos, or videos. Online sexual violence can take different forms.

Cyberstalking

When a victim is harassed through emails, texts, or social media, their online communications are monitored or disrupted, and they feel threatened.

Sextortion

When a young person is blackmailed with the threat of having their sexually explicit images or personal information shared online.

Virtual sexual assault

When a young person is subjected to continuous threats of sexual violence online.

Cyberpredation and online exploitation

When adults or teenagers communicate with children online with the intention of committing a sexual offence.

Non-consensual sharing of intimate images

When intimate images of a person are shared, transmitted, or made accessible to others without their consent, causing a loss of control over the images.

What is female genital mutilation?

Female genital mutilation (FGM) refers to any procedure that involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Terms such as excision, infibulation, and genital cutting are also used to describe these practices. Various types of FGM are performed for cultural or social reasons.

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