About Sexual Violence
Sexual violence is any unwanted sexual act or behaviour.
Who is impacted by sexual violence?
More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience sexual violence.
We also recognize a hard truth: Sexual violence is not evenly distributed. We know that people who experience marginalization are overrepresented in these statistics, and that available data is shaped by systemic gaps and limitations in how sexual violence is reported and recorded. This includes young women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, Black and Indigenous people, racialized communities, immigrants and refugees, sex workers, people living with disabilities, seniors, and people experiencing houselessness.
Sexual violence is one of the most underreported crimes in Canada, often due to stigma, fear, and systemic barriers, and these numbers do not reflect the full scope of its impact.
Many survivors from these communities have had to navigate systems that were not safe, culturally responsive, or equitable. Survivors from these communities often navigate systems shaped by racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, and other forms of oppression. These realities matter. They shape both the experience of harm and the experience of seeking support. We work to hold that context with care. We are committed to trauma-informed, survivor-centred, and culturally aware services that respect identity, lived experience, and choice, as well as ongoing learning.
For more statistical information on gender and sexual based statistics across Turtle Island / Canada please visit Women & Gender Equity Canada’s Facts, stats and WAGE’s impact: Gender-based violence.
What does sexual violence entail?
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Violence based on gender norms and unequal power dynamics, perpetrated against someone based on their gender, gender expression, gender identity, or perceived gender. It takes many forms, including physical, economic, sexual, as well as emotional (psychological) abuse.
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Characterized as making unwelcome and inappropriate sexual remarks, physical advances, or other unwanted sexual behaviours
Examples (SHIFT Project, 2024):
Verbal: sexual/gender-based jokes or remarks, asking about someone’s sexual practices, intentional mis-gendering, vulgar sexual language, putting someone down, spreading rumours
Physical: assault, blocking movement, invasion of personal space (touching, crowding, leaning over, leering), stalking (physical or electronic intrusion into your personal life)
Visual: pictures, drawings, cartoons, screensavers, calendars, memes, emails, texts
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Any unwanted sexual contact without consent.
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The legal age of consent in Canada is 16 years old.
Exceptions: Persons under 16 years can have consensual sex with someone close in age:
12-13 year olds (two-year age difference)
14-15 year olds (five-year age difference)
These exceptions only apply if the older person is NOT in a position of authority or trust and there is no exploitation or dependency.
Individuals under 18 years old cannot consent to sex where:
The other consenting party is in a position of trust, authority or there is a dependency on that person.
There is an activity of exploitation (i.e pornography, sex work/prostitution).
When it comes to adults reporting or pursuing charges for sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse, the choice is completely yours. There is no time limit, so you can take your time to make this decision. However, everyone has a duty to report child abuse.
By law, you must contact Child Protection Services if you think a child is being abused or neglected by a parent or guardian.
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Consent is a voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity (Criminal Coode, 2021), and must be mutual, voluntary, specific, ongoing, and conscious (Alberta Association of Sexual Assault Services, 2026)
What could prevent you from making a choice to consent?
Threats of violence against you, someone else, or a pet
Force, coercion, or extortion
Power imbalances
Fear
What could prevent you from being able to consent?
Being drunk or high to the point of incapacitation
Being unconscious or asleep
Being younger than the age of consent
Mental illness or disabilities that limited your ability to understand what you were consenting to
You have the right to withdraw consent at any time during sexual activity. Consenting to one kind of sexual activity does not automatically mean consenting to another.
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Sexual coercion involves the use of pressure, threats, or emotional manipulation to get someone to do something that they don’t want to do.
A popular misconception is that sexual assault is violent and happens through the use of force or by physically overpowering someone. However, coercion is more commonly used to facilitate sexual violence, and given its manipulative nature, it can be difficult to recognize.
Those who experience sexual coercion may know that what happened wasn’t right, however, they may be hesitant to call it sexual assault. Coercion often leaves people who have experienced sexual assault feeling like they consented and therefore, are somehow responsible for what happened. (Alberta Association of Sexual Assault Services, 2026)