Quiz: Can you recognise sexually violent behaviour?

Sexual violence covers a wide spectrum of behaviour, from sexist jokes and catcalling to sexual assault and rape. Any form of sexual violence is wrong and can make the person who experiences feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Everyday behaviours, like making sexist jokes, need to be tackled in order to address the issue fully.

If you witness sexual harassment or sexual assault, it’s important to find ways to intervene safely. It can sometimes be hard to know what to do as a bystander, but there are ways you can step in to help the person experiencing harassment or assault. Find out more on what to do if you see sexual violence.

When a person is drunk, they’re more likely to do things they wouldn’t do if they were sober. A drunk person cannot give consent, and sexual activity with a person who doesn’t know what’s happening and can’t freely consent is sexual assault. Always look after drunk dates or friends, and make sure they get home safely.

All of these behaviours are considered sexual violence. Many people experience these things in everyday life, but just because they can be considered common or ‘normal’, doesn’t mean that they’re okay. These experiences can make people feel unsafe.

Sharing another person’s intimate images without their consent is call image-based sexual abuse, and is another form of sexual violence. This is a huge violation of trust, can seriously impact on the person’s mental health, and it is illegal, with a punishment of prison and/or a fine of up to €5,000. If the person in the image is under 18, this is considered child exploitation, and having a picture or video of someone under 18 can lead to criminal prosecution.

It is always essential to make sure that you have another person’s consent before entering someone’s personal space or engaging in any sexual activity, and this includes kissing. Consent means both people involved are completely comfortable with what’s happening and are able to consent (ie not drunk or high, not being taken advantage of by someone in a position of power over them, or underage). If a person says no, you must respect that. However, even if they don’t say no out loud, they may be showing that they’re uncomfortable in other ways, for example with their body language, by moving away from you, or by trying to divert your attention to something else. Always ask if they’re okay with what you’re doing. The legal age of consent in Ireland is 17, which means that even if a person under 17 has consented to sex themselves, their consent is not considered legally valid because they are underage.

Sexual violence can happen to anyone, of any gender and at any age. If you have experienced sexual violence, there are support organisations available to help.

Catcalling, beeping a horn at someone walking down the street, commenting on a passerby’s looks and other forms of street harassment are a form of sexual violence, and can make the person experiencing it feel incredibly uncomfortable and unsafe. This is never okay, and it’s important to challenge this behaviour when you can.

In order to tackle the issue of sexual violence, we need to challenge people’s attitudes and speak up when we hear or see things that we know are not right. If something happens in a group setting, you can calmly say that you didn’t feel what they said or did was right, or you can reach out to them privately to talk about it one-to-one. You may feel nervous or uncomfortable at first, but in time you will find it easier to speak out.

If a person isn’t interested in going out with you, you must respect that and move on. Although it can be disappointing, it’s better to invest your energy in finding the right person for you instead of trying to make someone else like you. If you keep pestering someone, this is considered harassment.