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SAMSSA

Service Assisting Male Survivors of Sexual Assault

Sexual abuse happens when an older, bigger or more powerful person involves a child or young person in sexual activity.

Sexual abuse is sometimes called: child sexual assault; molestation or interfering; paedofilia; sexual offending.

Other characteristics of sexual abuse are unequal power between the child and the perpetrator, and the exploitation or betrayal of the child’s trust and innocence.

Child sexual abuse includes a wide range of acts and behaviours. Some common examples are:

• Exposing one’s genitals to children.
• Fondling a child’s genitals, forcing a child to fondle an adult’s genitals or to engage in self-masturbation.
• Exposing children to prostitution or pornography.
• Involving a child in vaginal, oral or anal sexual activity; or attempting to involve a child in any of these.
• Vaginal, anal, or oral penetration of a child with a penis; vaginal or anal penetration by a finger or other object; or any attempt to penetrate a child in these ways.
• Involving a child in sexual behaviour with an animal.

 All of these acts are crimes in Australia. Each State and Territory has its own law on sexual offences, so there is no single definition. Acts of indecency may also include any act with a sexual connotation involving a child, or an act where the adult or older person seeks sexual gratification.

The age of consent

 The age of consent refers to laws about when a young person is deemed legally capable of making a choice about engaging in sexual activity with another person.

In the Australian Capital Territory, the age of consent is 16 years.

In other States and Territories, and in different countries, the age of consent can vary according to your sex (male or female) and the sex (male or female) of the other person.  If any sexual activity is unwanted and not consensual, it is a crime, regardless of the age of consent.  Penalties for sexual offences against children under the age of 10 years are higher in the ACT, because the law recognises that young children do not understand sex in the same way as adults, and therefore cannot be deemed to have consented to any sexual activity with an older person.

Some of the information on this web page is taken from: Who can a man tell?: Information for men who were sexually abused as children. A pamphlet produced by the NSW Health Education Center Against Violence. Parramatta, NSW.

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Contact SAMSSA at:
Unit 2
114 Maitland Street
Hackett ACT 2602

Phone: 02 6262 7377
Mobile: 0411 847 108
Fax: 02 6262 7388

Monday - Friday 0900 - 1700
Or in an emergency our 24HR Hotline 02 6247 2525
or
Email SAMSSA at:
samssa@effect.net.au

This page was last updated on 18 April 2005