Overview
The term sexual violence covers a wide range of abusive acts including sexual assault, rape, sexual coercion, sexual bullying and female genital mutilation.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 established a clear definition and new responsibilities around consent.
Put simply, rape and other sexual assaults are sexual acts carried out without the consent of one of the people involved. Consent means making an active decision to say yes, assuming consent is not enough.
People below certain ages or who suffer from certain disabilities cannot give consent, no matter what they say or do