Sexual Assault: physical activity, sexual in nature that is engaged in without consent of an individual. This can include intercourse, sexual penetrations with an object, and unwanted touching or kissing. Sexual assault includes rape as well as all other non-consensual acts of a sexual nature.
Sexual Coercion: the act of using pressure (including physical pressure, verbal pressure or emotional pressure), alcohol, medications or drugs, or force to have sexual contact against someone's will or with someone who has already refused.
Sexual Exploitation: taking abusive sexual advantage of another.
Sexual Harassment: unwanted sexual attention or action based on one's gender that is so severe and pervasive that it unreasonably interferes with the work or educational environment.
Sexual Violence: physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or where a person is incapable of giving consent. A number of acts fall into the category of sexual violence, including but not limited to rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual exploitation, and sexual coercion.
Stalking: engaging in a pattern of threatening conduct that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her own safety; the safety of family members; the safety of someone the person is dating; or the safety of property belonging to any of those persons.
Retaliation: any attempt to penalize or take an adverse employment, educational or institutional benefit action because of participation in a complaint.
Consent: Sexual activity requires consent, which is defined as voluntary, positive agreement between the participants to engage in specific sexual activity.
Communicating Consent
Consent to sexual activity can be communicated in a variety of ways, but one should presume that consent has not been given in the absence of clear, positive agreement.
While verbal consent is not an absolute requirement for consensual sexual activity, verbal communication prior to engaging in sex helps to clarify consent. Communicating verbally before engaging in sexual activity is imperative. However potentially awkward it may seem, talking about your own and your partner's sexual desires, needs, and limitations provide a basis for a positive experience.
Consent must be clear and unambiguous for each participant at every stage of a sexual encounter. The absence of "no" should not be understood to mean there is consent.
A prior relationship does not indicate consent to future activity.
Alcohol and Drugs
A person who is asleep or mentally or physically incapacitated, either through the effect of drugs or alcohol or for any other reason, is not capable of giving valid consent.
The use of alcohol or drugs may seriously interfere with the participants' judgment about whether consent has been sought and given.
