On this page, we talk about sexual violence and abuse.

There is support available if the information on this page upsets you.

You can find out more on our page about support.

On this page:

• What sexual violence and abuse is
• How sexual violence and abuse can affect you
• What you can do
• Example story

There are many types of sexual violence and abuse.

They include:

• someone touching you when you do not want them to
• someone showing you their private body parts when you do not want them to
• rape – when someone has sex with you when you do not want them to.

Sexual violence and abuse is against the law in Australia.

Everyone who takes part in a sexual activity should give their consent.

Your partner should respect your decision about:

• if you want to take part in a sexual activity
• where, when and how you want to take part in a sexual activity.

Your partner might be someone like a boyfriend or girlfriend.

It is your right to make these decisions about what you want.

You have not given your consent if your partner makes you feel:

• scared to say ‘no’
• threatened.

You have not given your consent if you say ‘no’:

• with your words
• with your body, like pushing your partner away.

You have not given your consent if you say nothing at all.

You can give your consent to take part in a sexual activity.

But you can change your mind at any time.

This means the sexual activity should stop straight away.

Anyone can experience sexual violence or abuse.

It does not matter:

• what age you are
• what type of disability you have
• what gender you are.

  Your gender is what you feel and understand about who you are as a person.

  You may think of yourself as a man or a woman or something different.

  You can choose the words that are right for you.

People in our community are more likely to experience sexual violence or abuse.

Our community is the WWDA community.

It includes:

• women and girls with disability.
• people with disability who are gender diverse.

  A gender diverse person is someone:

  • who feels like they do not fit the idea of being a man or a woman
  • whose gender given to them when they were born does not match the gender they are.

You are not alone if you have experienced sexual violence or abuse.

You can get support to heal.

We wrote some examples of sexual violence and abuse to help you understand what it is.

You can skip this section if it upsets you.

Someone might try to touch or kiss your body without your consent.

They might do this:

• over your clothes
• under your clothes.

Someone might try to put something inside your private body parts.

For example, a sex toy.

Someone might show you their private body parts.

Someone might:

• take photos or videos of your private body parts without your consent
• share photos or videos of you without your consent.

Someone might make you watch pornography.

Someone might try to trick you into taking part in sexual activities even though it is clear you do not want to.

Some people who have an intellectual disability are not able to understand the sexual activity they are going to take part in.

This means they cannot give consent.

And it is illegal to take part in a sexual activity with them.

Sexual violence and abuse can affect people in different ways.

You might wonder if:

• it was your fault
• what you experienced was actually sexual violence or abuse
• you should have told them ‘no’ more clearly
• you are making a big a deal out of it.

It is normal to think these things.

But it is never your fault if you experience sexual violence or abuse.

If you have experienced sexual violence or abuse, you might:

• suddenly remember the sexual violence or abuse in your body and mind
• feel guilty or that you have done something wrong
• not want to have sex
• not want to spend time with your family or friends.

You might feel:

• so afraid that you change the way you live your life
• shame about what happened to you.

You might also:

• find it hard to concentrate
• not want to take part in activities that you like
• pretend that it was not a big deal.

These thoughts and feelings are normal.

Many people feel this way after they experience sexual violence or abuse.

If you experience sexual violence and abuse, you need to make sure you are safe.

It is important to look after your body and emotions.

You should get support even if the person who hurt you is important to you.

For example, if they are a:

• partner
• friend or family member
• support worker.

If the person who hurt you is a support worker, you can tell their manager.

You have the right to ask for a different support worker.

And you do not have to give the manager a reason why you want a different support worker.

You do not have to contact the police if you do not want to.

You do not have to communicate with the person who hurt you.

No matter what you want to do, you can get support to:

• be safe
• heal.

It is important that you get medical support if you have experienced sexual violence or abuse.

For example, you could go to:

• your doctor
• a hospital
• a support service for people who have experienced sexual violence or abuse.

You might worry about having a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

A doctor can do a test to check if you have an STI.

And they can give you treatment.

You might worry about being pregnant.

A doctor can give you a morning‑after pill.

The morning‑after pill only works if you take it in the 5 days after the sexual activity.

You can ask for a medical and forensic examination.

This proof comes from your body.

Including your private body parts.

A medical and forensic examination can only happen in the 7 days after you have experienced sexual violence or abuse.

It is your choice if you want to have a medical and forensic examination.

If you choose to have a medical and forensic examination, it is important that you do not wash your body.

This is because you might wash away proof that you experienced sexual violence or abuse.

This includes bodily fluids from the person who hurt you.

Bodily fluids can help prove who hurt you.

You can recover after sexual violence or abuse.

It is a good idea to talk to someone you trust about what happened to you.

This includes if it happened a long time ago.

For example, you can talk to:

• a friend or family member
• your carer.

Try to have these conversations in a private place.

These conversations can help you to feel:

• understood
• that you are not alone.

There are steps you can take if you have experienced sexual violence or abuse.

We have information and resources on this website to help you get the support you need.

You can find out more on our page about support.

You can think about how you can be safe.

You can find out more on our page about becoming safer.

We also have information about how you can get the most out of life.

You can learn more on our page about getting the most out of life.

We wrote a story to show an example of sexual violence or abuse.

The story we wrote is about a person called Ana.

The story and the people in it are not real.

We made them up to explain sexual violence or abuse.

Ana is a university student with a physical disability.

Ana uses they/them pronouns.

At a party, one of Ana’s friends touched Ana’s private body parts.

This is an example of sexual violence and abuse.

Ana felt shame because of this.

It was hard for them to tell anyone what happened.

Ana’s friend helped them talk about their experiences.

Their friend also supported Ana to get counselling.

Ana also got legal advice from organisations that understood what she needed.

With this support, Ana began to heal.