The Law

Rape is when a man forces his penis into the vagina, anus or mouth of another person when that person doesn't want him to do so; the law calls this 'without consent'.

The most important bit to remember is that being pressured or forced to have sex when you don't want to is a crime.

Sexual Assault is a crime that can be committed by both men and women against men or women. Different types of sexual assault include:

• Objects or parts of the body (e.g. a finger) being put into someone's vagina or anus when that person didn't want it to happen.
• Someone being touched in a sexual way that makes him or her feel uncomfortable or frightened. This could be through their clothes (like bottom pinching).
• Someone being made to sexually stimulate themselves using their hands or fingers (known as masturbation).
• Any other form of physical closeness that happens without consent is known as sexual assault.It can also include; watching other people having sex, 'sexting' (texting sexual images), and forcing involvement in watching or making pornography.