The 14 types of rape and sexual violence

It is estimated that, in Spain, a woman is raped every eight hours. And that only in a single country. In another area, between ten and twenty percent of the population has suffered some type of sexual abuse in childhood.

These data reflect that the violation and the sexual abuse they are crimes that are not as uncommon as most people seem to think. But these acts do not always occur in the same way: who carry out these acts, the type of relationship they have with the victim and the elements used in the forcing of the action diverge to a great extent, so that it can be considered that there are very different types of rape and violence sexual.

Conceptualizing rape and sexual violence

Sexual violence is considered any situation in which an individual is forced to have sexual relations with another against her will, using force, threats, physical or mental harm to the victim, blackmail or coercion.

One of the most well-known forms of sexual violence is rape., in which the sexual act is carried out in a forced manner. Also included within this category is any type of sexual relationship in which one of the subjects is not capable of giving or denying their consent. Consent due to disturbances of conscience, lack thereof, or inability to understand or take responsibility for one's own acts.

Psychological and legal effects

These types of acts are a serious crime strongly punishable by law that can cause serious alterations to those who suffer them, both in the short and long term. These alterations are both physical and mental and emotional, producing a very significant interference in the normative activity of the victim. The appearance of re-experiencing what happened, feelings of a shortened future, a high level of anxiety and dissociative episodes are frequent. One of the most common disorders suffered by those who are sexually assaulted is post traumatic stress disorder.

Many of the people who suffer these crimes are unable to report them due to an accumulation of circumstances such as self-blame, fear of retaliation, fear of not being believed, or lack of social support. In fact, It is estimated that around 80% of cases are not reported, although in recent times there has been an upturn in the number of complaints carried out.

Types of rape and sexual violence

Although the fundamental concept of the act will be the same in all cases, the characteristics of each type of sexual assault can be very different.

It is because of that it is possible to establish the existence of different types of rape or sexual assault. Some of them are mentioned below.

1. Rape by spouse or partner

On many occasions, rapes or sexual assaults are committed by subjects with whom the victim has a relationship. In these cases, the rapist usually believes that he has a certain right to sexually dispose of her partner, ignoring her opinion and consent in this regard.

Threat, belittlement, manipulation, coercion or brute force is used to consume the sexual act. It is a type of physical and psychological abuse that is sometimes carried out as a mechanism to show power or even as an attempt by an abuser to reconcile by force.

2. Sexual assault on individuals with alterations of consciousness

Some of the violations that are carried out are linked to states in which the sexually assaulted subject is not in a position to give or not his consent for not having a sufficient level of consciousness. This type of violation can occur while the victim sleeps or is convalescing from an illness, intoxication in which she is not able to perceive the situation correctly.

Within this category we can find sexual assault carried out through the use of substances. This type of sexual assault refers to the use of substances (including alcohol and other drugs) with psychoactive in order to alter the level of consciousness of the victim and consummate the act taking advantage of said disturbance.

3. child sexual assault

Pedophilia is a crime in which a minor is used as a sexual object by an adult, taking advantage of the difference in age, knowledge, maturity and/or power.

It is generally carried out by people belonging to the immediate environment, with which sexual assault occurs in a context of breach of trust. Although physical force is sometimes used, the majority takes advantage of the existing relationship between victim and attacker or between attacker and those close to the victim, using manipulation and coercion. In the case of child sexual assault, the minor is not sufficiently aware of what a sexual relationship entails to be able to give or deny her consent.

4. Rape

Rape is the practice of sexual activities between an adult and a minor in which the latter gives his consent. to the consummation of the act due to the seduction and manipulation carried out by the adult. The basic difference with child sexual assault is that while in this the minor is not aware of what it implies to have sexual relations, in rape he is.

5. Incestuous sexual assault

Generally linked to the practice of pederasty or child sexual assault, this type of abuse is carried out by the most significant persons of the victim of sexual assault, taking advantage of said relationship to manipulate the individual and force her consent. Sometimes it is carried out by force, with the knowledge that a complaint is unlikely due to the importance of the aggressor to the victim.

6. Aggression to people with disabilities

In many cases people with disabilities can be victims of sexual harassment and assault. Because of her disability, an abuser may find it easier to force a sexual relationship. One of the most frequent cases of this type of sexual assault occurs towards people with intellectual disabilities.

Even if they may consent to the sexual act, if the offender takes advantage of a difference in intellectual abilities and the lack of understanding of the act to coerce the individual and manipulate him would be carrying out an abuse that can be classified as rape.

7. Elderly sexual assault

Seniors are also frequent victims of sexual abuse.. Due to a lower physical capacity than in youth, the elderly are a population to which some rapists may have easier access and may be more physically dominated.

In addition, in many cases, abusers can take advantage of the state of cognitive impairment typical of individuals with advanced dementia, thereby abusing power.

8. instrumental sexual assault

This type of violation refers to one whose objective is not specifically to obtain gratification, be it sexual or derived from the need for power, but is carried out with a specific objective. Examples of this are obtaining an economic benefit or causing damage to third parties linked to the victim.

9. Sexual assault as a hate crime

Sometimes rape is used as a method of attack or humiliation towards a person belonging to a specific group. This type of sexual assault incorporates a component of hatred or contempt towards said group. Examples of this can be found in sexual violence against women, against people from the LGBT community or against individuals belonging to ethnic minorities.

10. sexual harassment

In sexual harassment, the aggressor proceeds to manifest a series of behaviors and attitudes that cause the victim feelings of fear, insecurity or anguish. While it does not have to involve the presence of actual sexual contact (i.e., it may or may not include the presence of rape), the behaviors manifested affect the normal development of the activity of the victim.

The type of conduct carried out includes requests for sexual relations, unwanted approaches and/or touching, contacts of Persistent lewd behavior, promises or performance of favors in exchange or with the intent to force relationships or use of direct coercion or hint. It usually occurs in academic or work environments.

11. Rape by strangers

This type of rape is one of the best known by the majority of the population, although it is one of the least common. In it, a person without a previous relationship with the victim uses force, threats, coercion or other means to force her to have sexual relations.

The aggressor may have met the victim for some other purpose, just met her, or even assaulted her directly. The rape can be carried out in the street, a public place, a vehicle or even in the victim's home if the victim is attacked in her house (with or without breaking and entering). In some of these cases psychoactive substances are used.

12. gang rape

Situation in which a group of individuals decides to force one or more people to have sexual relations, taking advantage of the force and the number of individuals to intimidate or even physically force them to undertake the sexual act.

13. rape during wars

There is a high number of rapes during wars and armed conflicts. Apart from sexual abuse committed as a method of obtaining sexual gratification or dominance by the abuser, in many cases rape they are encouraged in order to decrease the morale of the local population, so as to facilitate the conflict and undermine the resistance on the part of the party assaulted.

14. sexual exploitation

Another type of sexual violence is that which is carried out by making the victim maintain forced relationships with another person or persons, the exploiter obtaining benefits from said relationship and being the one who forces or incites the victim to maintain relationships. Forced prostitution is one of these types of violence.