[Angel]

Before you post in this forum asking whether or not what happened to you was rape or abuse, please read this.


Rape (sexual assault) is knowingly engaging in sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact with any person without consent of that person. It is a felony.

Acquaintance rape occurs when someone you know compels you to have sexual intercourse against your will. Acquaintance rape can occur if you are passed out, too drunk to refuse, too frightened to argue, or when you do not give consent. Acquaintance rape is sexual assault.

Statutory rape is the criminal offense that occurs when a person has sexual relations with another person who is not old enough to legally consent to having sexual relations.

Child abuse is the violence, mistreatment or neglect that a child or adolescent may experience while in the care of someone they either trust or depend on, such as a parent, sibling, other relative, caregiver or guardian (more info here).

Physical abuse may consist of just one incident or it may happen repeatedly. It involves deliberately using force against someone in such a way that they are either injured or at risk of being injured. It may be any kind of beating, whipping, paddling, punching, slapping, hitting, pushing, shoving, shaking, kicking, throwing, pinching, biting, choking, or hair-pulling, burning with cigarettes, scalding water, or other hot objects, assaulting with a weapon and other actions that cause physical injury, leave marks, or produce significant physical pain.

Emotional abuse occurs when yelling and anger go too far or when someone constantly belittles, threatens, or dismisses you until your self-esteem and feelings of self-worth are damaged. For example, emotional abuse may include verbal threats, social isolation, intimidation, exploitation, telling someone he or she is "no good", "worthless", "bad", or "a mistake", using derogatory terms to describe someone, name-calling, shaming or humiliating, habitual scapegoating or blaming, or terrorizing someone or routinely making unreasonable demands.

Sexual abuse is sexual contact with any person without consent of that person, or any type of sexual contact between an adult and child.


Please do not ask whether or not what happened to you is considered rape or abuse if it can be answered above. You're welcome to post with other questions or for support.

**Originally posted by Administrator.