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Coalition of Regional Sexual Assault Centres - Saskatchewan
Sexualized Violence
Sexualized violence is an all-encompassing term that includes sexual assault, sexual abuse and sexual harassment. The word violence does not only refer to physical violence but includes emotional and psychological harm as well.
Sexual assault is any sexual act or behaviour that is done without consent. Sexual assault encompasses many sexually inappropriate acts, including but not limited to coerced sexual activity, non-consensual kissing or touch, and rape.
Sexual assault is a crime. The Criminal Code of Canada recognizes three types of sexualized violence, which result in different charges. All are considered to be sexual assault.
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Sexual assault (causing little or no physical injury);
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Sexual assault involving a weapon, threat, or bodily harm; and
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Aggravated sexual assault, which involves physical wounds, disfigurement, or threats to the life of the survivor.
Approximately 4.7 million women – or 30% of all women aged 15 and older – have been sexually assaulted outside of an intimate relationship at least once since age 15 (Statistics Canada, 2019).
According to self-reported data, there were 22 incidents of sexual assault for every 1,000 people in Canada aged 15 and older (Conroy and Cotter, Statistics Canada, 2017).
In Saskatchewan there were 1,449 cases of sexual assault reported to police in Saskatchewan in 2022. That is almost 4 sexual assaults every day (Conroy, Statistics Canada, 2024).
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