I know that it’s one of the requirements of a successful thesis investigation, so this should be obvious…but defining key terms in the context of my investigation has really helped me clarify certain issues for myself. I’ve listed them below.
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Consent: The giving of permission for something to occur or happen. In the case of date rape, both parties involved must possess the mental capacity to explicitly say yes and agree to take part in the activity.
Report vs. Share: Report is used in any instances where legal or disciplinary action is to be taken (i.e. campus PD, Board of Student Conduct). Share is used in regard to the telling of the incident/story to someone other than the police or Student Conduct, whereas no legal or disciplinary action is attempted (Counseling Center, personal support network, community, etc.).
Survivor: A person who has lived through a sexual assault.
Bystander intervention: A violence prevention strategy that involves the interference of an observer in order to prevent behavior that promotes sexual violence.
Sexual assault: Any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.
Date rape: An offset of acquaintance rape. Rape that is characterized by a familiar relationship between the victim and offender, ranging from a first date to romantic relationship.
Stigma: A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.