Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My opinion is that we need to rethink that lower threshold of "sexual assault", and have a different name for it. I was assaulted as a young teen, and I am not comfortable with putting both petty and incredibly grave assaults under the same umbrella.
You don't have to put them under the same umbrella. There are specific terms for very severe sexual assault -- rape, incest, molestation, child sexual assault, etc. Obviously if those words don't apply to you situation, you shouldn't use them. There are also words for less grave sexual assault -- groping, exposure, etc. Use the word that applies to your situation.
However, it's worthwhile to have a general catch all term that describes all sexual assault, because there are commonalities. As someone who has worked in crisis intervention for sexual violence, being able to describe all acts with one term is very helpful -- it can offer survivors some anonymity and privacy (it is much, much easier to say "I was sexually assaulted" than to be specific, which can make it easier for a survivor to seek out support) and it can allow people who had different experiences to connect over what is similar.
So on language, we're good.