Division of Campus Life
BWell Health Promotion

Sexual Harm Definitions

Resource

We use the term sexual harm to encompass all non-consensual behaviors of a sexual nature, or related to sex or gender, that causes a person to feel uncomfortable, frightened, distressed, intimidated or harmed either physically or psychologically.

Examples

Examples of sexual harm include, but are not limited to:

  • Sexual assault/abuse
  • Sexual or gender-based harassment
  • Domestic/dating violence
  • Relationship abuse (abuse within any type of relationship, often by exploiting differences in power)
  • Stalking
  • Sexual exploitation

Brown University Definitions

Related Definitions Under RI State Law