3. Definition of Child Sexual Victimisation

You have just watched Helena’s story. Helena is just one of many children who have experienced sexual victimisation, each of whom will have their own unique story to tell.

But, WHAT IS SEXUAL VICTIMISATION?

Sexual victimisation can be defined as any form of sexual contact (physical or otherwise) between a child and someone in a position of power (adult or other) over the minor, which makes it impossible for them to provide valid or informed consent.  

You are more likely to have heard of child sexual abuse, even though the term sexual victimisation is actually more accurate for these kinds of experiences. We use the concept of sexual victimisation here because it references a broader spectrum of experiences than the term “sexual abuse” alone. There are many definitions which describe different types of sexual victimisation which you can learn more about in the links and the references provided at the end of this document.

The definition of sexual victimisation is complex and can vary according to the personal experience of the child, however, there are five critical considerations which can help us to appropriately define child sexual victimisation. Click on the photo below to find out more about these five critical considerations: