What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is when a person is forced, coerced or tricked into sexual acts against their will or without their consent, including when they have withdrawn their consent. Sexual assault:

• is behaviour that the survivor has not invited or chosen
• can be one-off events, or part of a pattern of violence
• may have a range of effects, including physical, emotional and psychological.

Sexual assault and other sexual offences are criminal offences.

Sexual assault examples include:

• Intentional contact with the breasts, buttock, groin, or genitals, or touching another with any of these body parts, or making another touch you or themselves with or on any of these body parts; any intentional bodily contact in a sexual manner, though not involving contact with/of/by breasts, buttocks, groin, genitals, mouth or other orifice
• Intercourse however slight, meaning vaginal penetration by a penis, object, tongue or finger, anal penetration by a penis, object, tongue, or finger, and oral copulation (mouth to genital contact or genital to mouth contact).

You can find more information on sexual assault via the Sexual Assault Resource Centre and WA Police.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, or think you have experienced sexual assault, we encourage you to contact the police and/or Safer Community Team.

Once you have sought support, it is your choice whether you want to progress to making a formal report or not. Curtin University will support you either way through our free and confidential support services.