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| Acquaintance sexual assault |
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Definition
| Sexual assault committed by an acquaintance of the victim. Much less likely to be reported to the police than stranger sexual assault, in part because victims may not perceive the incident to be a sexual assault. Accounts for 82% of incidents reported in 2007; 51% were assaulted by friends or acquaintances, and 28% were assaulted by family members. Includes date sexual assault. |
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| A professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. Leader of an Ontario legal team that works with Toronto-based Sex Professionals of Canada. Collaborated with the team of Katrina Pacey to launch constitutional changes against Canadian prostitution laws that contribute to violence against street-based sex workers, the harm of which outweighs the law's benefits to society. |
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| A Canadian teen who died by suicide after intimate photos of her were circulated online. |
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| From Saint Francis Xavier University. Did work in human sexuality and psychology research. |
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Definition
| Conducted a poll in 2009 which found that most Canadians would like to see Canada's prostitution laws modified, though there was considerable disagreement about how. 50% preferred that some aspects that are currently legal should be decriminalized, and adults should be allowed to engage in consensual prostitution, 25% believed that prostitution should be prohibited entirely, 16% believed laws should remain as they were, and 8% weren't sure what they thought. In 2014, surveyed Canadians on opinions about the legality of burying and selling sex, and their support of Bill C-36. 45% said buying sex should be legal, 45% said it should be illegal, and 11% were unsure. 51% said selling sex should be legal, 39% said it should be illegal, and 10% were unsure. 56% of men and 55% of women said selling sex should be legal, while 62% of men and 49% of women said selling sex should be illegal. 35% supported Bill C-36, 47% were opposed, and 18% were unsure. |
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| From Brock University. Found that the type of film most preferred by men showed women with insatiable sexual desires. Women may read erotic romance novels, but show relatively less interest in erotic pictures, films, or websites. Some women may find sexually erotic material a turn-off or disgusting, especially when it portrays women in unflattering roles. |
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| Anti-pornography feminist |
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Definition
| A perspective on pornography. Pornography portrays women as objects intended to provide pleasure to men, presenting women in dehumanized, degrading ways. |
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Definition
| Made the selling of sex legal, with some restrictions. Buying of sex is illegal. Targets customers, based on the Nordic Model. Penalties for attempting to buy sex would range from a fine to up to five years in prison. There are stiff penalties for those who receive financial benefits from prostitution, such as pimps or escort services. Significant restrictions on how sex workers can advertise. In 2016, it passed two readings in the House of Commons, with a third and final remaining before proceeding to Senate approval. Expected to become law at the end of 2014, and expected to be challenged in the Supreme Court by sex workers who claim that it is no better than the laws it has replaced. |
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Definition
| Female sex workers who occupy a middle position in the hierarchy of sex workers. Work in brothels or massage parlours. |
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| Conducted an experiment. Found that compared to people who viewed nonsexual films, those exposed to six weekly, hour-long sessions of scenes with explicit sexual encounters between new acquaintances had attitude changes, including greater acceptance of premarital and extramarital sex, and simultaneous sexual relationships with multiple partners. Traditional sexual and family values were loosened. Prolonged exposure to such sexually explicit material also fostered dissatisfaction with the physical appearance and sexual performance of one's intimate partners. |
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Definition
| A sex worker who arranges for sexual contacts by telephone. Occupy the highest rungs on the social ladder of female sex workers. Many overlap with escorts. Tend to be most attractive and best educated sex workers, charging more for their services. Many come from middle-class backgrounds. Usually work on their own, without pimps. Because they don't split incomes with pimps, escort services, or massage parlours, they can earn substantial amounts and be more selective about customers that they accept. Serve as companions and sex partners. May receive clients in their homes, or make outcalls to clients' homes and hotels. May insist on a client's business card or learning his home telephone number before making contact. May investigate that the person is who they purport to be. |
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Definition
| Frequency of sexual harassment varies. Overall, 25 - 35% of students report experiencing at least one incident of sexual harassment in college or university. Males are more likely to commit harassment. The most common type was sexist remarks or sexual comments. Female students have been harassed by male professors, instructors, and other students. Most forms involve unequal power relationships. Most instances are not reported. |
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| Candida Royalle and Tristan Taormino |
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Definition
| Pro-pornography feminists who make sexually explicit films from a woman's point of view, promoting women's exploration of sexual pleasure on their own terms. |
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Definition
| Conducted an Ontario study that found that pedophilia is associated with school failure by one or more years, and subsequent enrollment in special education. Found that pedophiles have lower intelligence levels as measured by IQ. Found significant brain differences between pedophiles and other men, which may exist at birth. Using MRI, discovered that the wiring connecting the brain regions responsible for sexual response is thinner for pedophiles, indicating that the part of the brain related to identifying sexual partners may not develop normally for them. |
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| Catherine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin |
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Definition
| Feminists who, in 1980, proposed legislation for the city of Minneapolis that defined pornography, in part, as material that presents "women as dehumanized sexual objects", "women's body parts such that women are reduced to those parts", "or " women in scenarios that are degrading". The legislation did not pass. |
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Definition
| Canadians almost universally view child pornography as obscene and harmful. It is illegal to sell child pornography, as well as possess anything that depicts people under the age of 18 engaging in real or simulated sexual behaviour. Visual representations, for sexual purposes, of sex organs of people under 18, and written materials and pictures that advocate having sex with underaged individuals are also forbidden. The law allows exceptions for material that has artistic merit, or an educational, scientific, or medical purpose. In 2001, exceptions were made to include private materials and sexually explicit material created by children and adolescents that are meant to be kept strictly private and only for personal use. |
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Definition
| Did a TED talk about her website, MakeLoveNotPorn.com, which celebrates realistic sex. |
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Definition
| A central issue of sexual assault. Defined and conceptualized in many ways. Can it be given under duress? Must it be given verbally? How do people actually ask for and give consent? It is a clear yes or no? Most give consent indirectly. Some assume men are always willing to have sex, and that women seldom initiate. Sex education does not often provide strategies for saying yes to sex. Little research has been done on consent among homosexuals. Most research has been conducted on violent encounters. |
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Definition
| A perspective on pornography. Sees pornography as a threat to "traditional values" of society. |
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| Corey Isaacs and William Fisher |
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Definition
| In 2008, developed an interactive computer program designed to sensitize participants to the negative messages portrayed in violent and degrading pornography. Contrary to expectations, the researchers did not observe any negative effects of viewing pornography. The intervention did diminish position reactions to sexual aggression, and encouraged participants to become more sensitive and reject violence in pornography. |
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Definition
| There is considerable concern today about sexual harassment through cyberbullying. Includes posting nude photos of current or former partners without the person's consent. It is illegal to repeatedly torment someone online, or to share videos or photos with nudity of people under 18. In 2014, the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act was introduced which, if passed into law, will make it illegal to distribute intimate images without consent, no matter the age of the person; designed to prevent "revenge porn". |
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Term
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Definition
Cybersex compulsivity
The internet is the most frequently used way to access pornography. Accessibility and anonymity of sex on the internet is fueling what some health professionals call a cybersex addiction. Addicts may spend hours a day masturbating to pornographic images or having online sex via chatrooms or webcams. Especially vulnerable may be those whose sexuality has been suppressed and limited all their lives, who suddenly find an infinite supply of sexual possibilities. Online viewing that begins as harmless recreation can become all-consuming. Cybersex compulsives may ignore their partners and children, and risk their jobs.
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Term
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Definition
R2
Rohypnol
Roofies
Rophies
Easily slipped into drinks. Lowers inhibitions, lessens the ability to resist sexual assault, and causes blackouts. Tips for avoiding problems include: be wary about accepting drinks; never leave your drink unattended; and notify authorities immediately if you think you've been a victim. |
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Definition
| A common form of acquaintance sexual assault. More likely to occur if the couple has been drinking, and parks in the man's car or goes to his home. The man tends to perceive his partner's willingness to return home with him as a sign of sexual interest. Some men interpret resistance as being coy, or game-playing. Most won't force non-consenting individuals to have sex. Can be more challenging for the courts to determine if consent was given in cases of established relationships. If they say no, but are forcibly violated, then they have been assaulted. |
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Definition
| Conducted a study of students from more than 40 universities and community colleges across Canada. Found that since the beginning of university, 32% of women had given in to sex play because they had been overwhelmed by the men's continual arguments and pressures, and 20% had given in to sexual intercourse because of this kind of verbal pressure. |
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Definition
| Project director of the Canadian Women's Foundation's national task force on human trafficking of women and girls. Research indicates that human trafficking in Canada is under-reported, with few perpetrators caught by police. Women trafficked in Canada are often aboriginals or immigrants who live in poverty and are vulnerable to exploitation. |
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Definition
| Did a presentation on understanding sexual assault law, as part of the Mini Law School program at the Schulich School of Law. |
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Definition
| Sexually explicit material which does not involve violence or degradation of women. May be as sexually explicit as pornography. Does not contain scenes of violence, but typically portrays women as sexually promiscuous, insatiable, and subservient. How might this affect people's attitudes/behaviours towards women? There is little empirical support for the idea that SEM causes sexual aggression. Exposure over six weeks to casual sex SEM films was associated with greater acceptance of premarital and extramarital sex, and simultaneous sexual relations with multiple partners. Research on effects of nonviolent SEM is inconclusive, and may be more closely connected with whether women are presented in a dehumanizing manner than with sexual explicitness. |
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Term
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Definition
| Female sex workers who post ads in telephone directories and newspaper personals to attract conventioneers and businessmen. Services that provide outcalls send masseuses, or masseurs, to hotel rooms. Escort services typically, but not always, offer sexual services. Those who work for escort services usually come from middle-class backgrounds, and are well-educated. |
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Definition
| Usually classified according to the setting in which they work. Includes street-based sex workers, brothel workers, massage parlour workers, escorts, and call girls. |
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Definition
| Researchers estimate that women are responsible for 4 - 5% of all sexual offences. Little is known about female sex offenders. They are less likely than men to use violence and to deny their actions once they are caught. Many have been physically or sexually abused as children. About half acted in tandem with male offenders. One sub-type is the "teacher/lover". |
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Definition
| Found that 21% of college men and 39% of college women reported incestuous relationships with siblings of the opposite sex. 4% reported incestuous relationships with fathers. |
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Definition
| Conducted several studies of sex workers in Canada. Believes much of the material on them overstates the disadvantaged backgrounds they may come from. Some university students may engage in some forms of sex work, such as stripping, because pay is better than for many other jobs. Argues that researchers who study sex workers from a deviance perspective typically ignore the fact that some voluntarily enter the sex work business, and don't see themselves as victims. Some feel that they have a lot of control over their work, such as setting prices, choosing clients, and having the last say as to when, how, and if sex takes place. Believes many of the problems associated with sex work would diminish if it were recognized as legitimate profession. |
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| Francis Shaver, Jacqueline Lewis, and Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale |
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Definition
| From Concordia University and University of Windsor. Conducted studies with sex workers across Canada. Argue that beyond decriminalization, the safety and well-being of sex workers can be enhanced through policies that focus on occupational health and safety, access to essential services, and rights. Propose an approach to sex work similar to that adopted in New Zealand, which places sex work in harm-reduction and labour-rights framework. |
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Term
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Definition
| The exercise of power appears to be the major motive behind gang sexual assaults. Some attackers may be expressing anger against women. Sexual assaults involving groups of attackers tend to be more vicious than individuals assaults. Relatively few survivors reported attacks to police or sought support from rape crisis centres. |
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Definition
| With colleagues, found that many fathers who committed incest with daughters were religiously devout, fundamentalist, and moralistic. Perhaps such men, when sexually frustrated, were less likely to seek extramarital or extra-familial sexual outlets, or turn to masturbation for sexual release. |
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Term
| General Social Survey (GSS) |
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Definition
| Calculates self-reported crime rates with a representative sample of Canadians aged 15 and older. Found 677,000 incidents of sexual assault in Canada. Most (81%) involved unwanted sexual touching, grabbing, kissing, and fondling. One in five involved more serious sexual attacks. In over half of the cases, victims and perpetrators knew each other. Most involved female victims (70%) and male assailants (87%). Assault rates are much higher for those aged 15 - 24. Reported 34 incidents of sexual assault per 1,000 Canadian women. |
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Definition
| Often involves coercing girls and women into prostitution and other sex-related work. Most work has focused on trafficking of girls and women into Canada, but trafficking also occurs within Canada. It is under-reported; few perpetrators are caught by police. A major global enterprise. The trafficking of girls and women is the industry's major component. Because it is illegal and occurs underground, it is difficult to obtain accurate information about the number of girls and women trafficked into Canada. Girls and women have been trafficked from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa, usually by organized crime groups. A woman is lured by promises of a good life and a legal job, but when she arrives in Canada she is coerced into sex work to repay the trafficker for travel costs. The trafficker keeps her working in the sex trade by withholding her passport, isolating her from the wider community, confining her with force, and threatening her with violence. |
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Definition
| A man who engages in sex work with male customers. Many come from families troubled by conflict, alcoholism, and physical and sexual abuse. The major motive is money. Most are part-time, and continue some form of education or vocational activity. Drug dealing is common. Not typically attached to pimps. Generally, make contact with clients in gay bars, social clubs, or by working the streets. |
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Definition
| Sexual relations between individuals who are so closely related that sexual relations are prohibited and punishable by law. The law may also proscribe intercourse between step-parents and step-children. Some societies have permitted incestuous pairings among royalty, but all known cultures have an incest taboo. Most identified cases involve fathers incarcerated for incest with daughters. There is much research available on factors associated with fathers abusing daughters. The most common type is brother-sister incest, which is believed to be greatly under-reported. Includes father-daughter, brother-sister, and mother-son incest. Family factors include: general family disruption, spousal abuse, alcoholic or physically abusive parents, stressful events in the father's life, uneven power relationships between spouses, and generations of abuse history. |
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Term
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Definition
| Canadians increasingly use the internet to look at sexually explicit material. Studies of university students suggest that many young people are using the internet to look at sexual images and videos. Many find it arousing, have learned new techniques from it, and masturbated while online. Rates and frequency are typically higher among men. Repeated exposure to the same pornographic materials progressively lessons the sexual response to them. Many Canadians are exposed to unsolicited SEM through email messages and pop-ups; males are more likely to respond positively than females. On secondlife.com, animated, cartoon-like avatars can engage in virtual sex with other avatars. |
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Definition
| From University of Windsor. Conducted a study of female strippers. Distinguished between career and short-term, goal-oriented dancers. The latter group included several university students. |
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| John Lowman and Chris Atchison |
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Definition
| Vancouver researchers who obtained a broad range of sex workers' clients. 50% had regular sex partners or spouses, 67% said they were either very satisfied or very happy with their relationships. The most common reason they gave for visits to sex workers was availability and visibility, the second most common reason was that the decision was spontaneous. |
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Definition
| When a man is arrested for communicating for the purposes of prostitution, but has no previous criminal record, he must attend a day-long school to have charges erased from the court record. They listen to street-based sex workers talk about the negative effects of the sex trade, as well as lectures on STIs. Men are expected to provide donations to help support the programs. |
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Term
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Definition
Tricks
Male customers of female sex workers. Represents all socioeconomic and racial groups. Similar to men who are not the customers of sex workers. Average age was 38. More than half were married or in serious relationships. On average, had used the services of a sex worker 19 times. Most Canadian studies have used samples of men in john schools; biased because the men were arrested for soliciting streetwalkers. Most patrons are occasional johns, only when travelling, or military personnel. Habitual johns use sex work as their primary or exclusive sexual outlet. Some use sex workers to meet psychological or sexual needs they are unable to meet otherwise. Some may have a whore-madonna complex. In Canada, there is stigma attached to paying for sex. Motivations for buying sex can include sex without negotiation, sex without emotional commitment, sex for eroticism or variety, prostitution as a social outlet, sex away from home, and difficulty attracting a partner. |
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Term
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Definition
| Offer a critique of current sexual consent promotion frameworks in sexual assault prevention education programming on college campuses, and provide suggestions for future programs. Many campus-based programs emphasize the need for women to be more clear in communication of affirmative consent and refusal. Authors argue that while these can help raise awareness, their effectiveness is questionable. Endorse a "socio-cultural" approach that focuses attention away from the idea that sex necessarily involves an initiator and a recipient, instead promoting a more collaborative effort of a couple, promoting positive, consensual sex. College and university educational programs, as well as elementary and secondary school programs, should address gender inequality, and teach critical awareness of media messages that objectify women and promote violence, discrimination, and sexism, and focus on deconstructing the sociocultural determinants of sexual violence including institutions of male domination and entitlement. |
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Term
| Kathleen Cairns and Doyle Hatt |
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Definition
| From University of Calgary. Found that 9% of female graduate students and 2% of male graduate students at a large Canadian university experienced sexual harassment. The most common form involved sexist remarks and sexual comments. Very few experienced sexual coercion. Female students were harassed mainly by male professors and instructors, but also by other students. Male students were harassed mainly by female students. |
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Definition
| From Pivot Legal Society. Led a legal team in British Columbia with the Downtown Eastside Sex Workers United Against Violence Society. Collaborated with the team of Alan Young to launch constitutional changes against Canadian prostitution laws that contribute to violence against street-based sex workers, the harm of which outweighs the law's benefits to society. |
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Term
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Definition
| With colleagues, conducted an Ontario study on the use of pornography among convicted child molesters. Those who viewed deviant (including violent) pornography were more likely to re-offend. Higher frequency of porn use was predictive of recidivism among those who were already considered to be at high risk for re-offending. Speculate that more aggressive men are drawn to images of violent pornography, which reinforces negative attitudes such as hostility towards women. Note that the use of deviant pornography is more predictive of violent sexual re-offending than of sexual offending in general. |
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Term
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Definition
| Made videos about alcohol and consent, and on prostitution. |
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Term
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Definition
| With colleagues, found that some sexually coercive men find verbal descriptions, films, and audiotapes that portray rape more sexually arousing than other men, as measured by size of erection. |
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Definition
| A perspective on pornography. Believes that in the absence of clear harm, the government should not restrict access to sexually explicit material, because it is a violation of free speech. |
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Term
| Loren McMaster, Jennifer Connolly, Debra Pepler, and Wendy McCraig |
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Definition
| From York University and Queen's University. Conducted a study of peer-to-peer sexual harassment among 1,213 students in grades 6 to 8 in a large Canadian city. Defined sexual harassment as unwanted sexual attention. Asked students whether they'd perpetrated or experienced any of ten types of sexual harassment. Boys (36%) were more likely to report perpetration than girls (21%), while 42% of boys and 38% of girls reported victimization. Three behaviours most often experienced were homophobic name-calling, sexual comments, jokes, or looks, and flashing or mooning. Boys perpetrated more same-sex harassment, while girls perpetrated more cross-sex harassment. Concluded that for some youth, harassment is a phase of development. For others, it is part of a developmental pattern that includes other forms of aggression, such as bullying, and is a predictor for aggression in future dating relationships. |
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Term
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Definition
| Includes male-male and male-female activities. Gigolos, or male sex workers who service female clients, are rare. "Beach boys" in developing countries make money from relations with women tourists. The overwhelming majority service gay men, called hustlers. May be gay, bisexual, or heterosexual. Major motivation is money. Running away from home typically serves as an entry point. Includes strippers, kept boys, call boys, punks, drag prostitutes, brothel prostitutes, and bar hustlers. |
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Term
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Definition
| A boudoir photographer in Calgary who has taken pictures of more than 4,000 women over 25 years, ranging from seductive poses to completely nude images. |
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Term
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Definition
| With colleagues, emphasized the importance of having offenders take responsibility for their offences. Teach offenders more effective coping skills for dealing with relationship problems. With offenders who continue to have deviant patterns of sexual arousal, used reconditioning strategies to enhance appropriate sexual interests and reduce deviant ones. Criticized public-notification approaches, in belief that they are likely to cause stress in the offenders that will increase recidivism rates. Suggests that public notification should be used only in extremely dangerous cases, when alternative containment strategies are unavailable. Found little or no difference in levels of sexually explicit material exposure between incarcerated sex offenders and comparison groups of felons incarcerated for nonsexual crimes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Many massage parlours serve as fronts for sex work. Clients pay fees for standard massages, and tip the workers for sexual extras. To avoid massage-parlour regulations, some owners obtain licenses claiming that they are holistic health centres or aromatherapy centres. Most massage parlours that offer sexual services limit it to masturbation of clients; most do not offer oral sex or penetration, in an attempt to avoid persecution. |
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Definition
| From University of Alberta. Conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of the research on sexual consent. Found that sexual consent has been conceptualized and defined in numerous ways. Many scholars have discussed sexual consent without defining the term at all, assuming that everyone shares the same understanding of its meaning. Believes it is essential for researchers to clearly define sexual consent, and stresses the need to develop interactive models using qualitative research methods. Conducted a study of same-sex relationships in Canada and USA, and found that 23% of women and 35% of men experienced sexual coercion in same-sex relationships. |
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Definition
| An Ontario researcher. Concluded that the effectiveness of psychological interventions to reduce recidivism among pedophilic sex offenders has not been scientifically demonstrated. Suggests that "learning to control their sexual arousal to children may help motivated individuals to refrain from sexually offending." |
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Term
| Michael Seto, Alexandra Maric, and Howard Barbaree |
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Definition
| From the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Conduced an extensive review of research, and concluded that there is little empirical support for the idea that sexually explicit material causes sexual aggression. Rather, they believe men who are predisposed to sexual aggression are more likely to view violent SEM, and therefore more likely to show the strongest effects. Men who are not predisposed to sexual violence are unlikely to show any effects. |
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Term
| Michael Seto and Angela Eke |
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Definition
| Found that 24% of a sample of men convicted of child pornography offences had committed previous sexual offences involving contact. Those who had committed prior or concurrent contact offences were most likely to offend again. |
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Term
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Definition
| With colleagues, argues that researchers have generally ignored the fact that an increasing amount of sexually explicit material is produced by women, for women and couples, indicating that many women are willing consumers of these materials. Surveyed 382 females and 202 males attending a university in western Canada. Found those with higher self-esteem and lower sexual anxiety had higher exposure to SEM on television and DVDs. Females with more recent experience with vaginal and anal intercourse were also more likely to have seen SEM. Safer sex practises were not related to the degree of SEM exposure. Concluded that exposure to SEM is not related to many of the types of harm that are often discussed in literature. |
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Term
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Definition
| Sexually explicit material that offends community standards. Difficult to define. Determining exactly what community standards are with respect to SEM is notoriously difficult. |
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Term
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Definition
| A perspective on pornography. States that pornography offends community standards. |
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Term
| Partner or marital sexual assault |
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Definition
| Probably more common than date rape, because a relationship has already been established. A "traditional" man may believe it is a woman's duty to satisfy his sexual needs, even when she is not interested. Often goes under-reported. May not be recognized by the victim as assault, or the victim fears that others won't believe them. Motives include domination and degradation. Often occurs within a pattern of violence and physical intimidation. Victims may fear physical injury and death, much as victims of stranger assault. Long-term effects are similar to those of stranger assaults, including fear, depression, and sexual dysfunction. The victim may have to live with their assailant, and may fear repeated attacks. |
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Term
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Definition
| A person with pedophilia. Almost exclusively male. Sometimes only attracted to children, others are attracted to both children and adults. May never have any contact with children. May only abuse children they are related to, or not related to. Some may limit interest to looking at or undressing children, whereas others fondle them or masturbate in their presence. Others coerce children into oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Often have personality disorders. Often emotionally unstable, disagreeable, angry, impulsive, and mistrustful. Often grow up in families with insecure attachment experiences. May lack the social skills to develop relationships with adults. Often see children as sexual beings who want to have sex with adults, believe that sex doesn't harm children or may even be beneficial, and think themselves so important that they are entitled to have sex with whomever they want. |
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Term
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Definition
| A paraphilia that features sexual attraction to children. An adult finds children as their preferred, and sometimes exclusive objects of sexual desire. Involves sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviours that involve sexual activity with a prepubescent child. Clinical diagnosis is given when the person acts on, or is distressed by urges. Has been estimated that up to 5% of men have sexual fantasies or sexual contact with prepubescent children. Associated with having a serious head injury before the age of 6, having older brothers, school failure by one or more years and subsequent enrollment in special education, lower levels of intelligence, and brain differences. Research indicates that child pornography offences are a stronger indicator of pedophilia than child sexual offences. Child-pornography offenders who had committed prior or concurrent contact offences were most likely to offend again. |
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Term
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Definition
| A man who serves as an agent for sex workers, and lives off their earnings. Acts as a lover, father, companion, and master. |
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Term
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Definition
| A form of sexually explicit material. Written, visual, or audiotaped material that is sexually explicit, or produced with the intention to elicit or enhance sexual arousal. Has a negative connotation today, and is typically associated with SEM that is violent and/or degrading. "Intention" determines what is pornographic in the mind of the person composing the work; applying this definition makes it impossible to determine what is pornographic. Work may be pornographic even without naked bodies or explicit sex scenes, likewise explicit representations of people engaged in sexual activity may not be pornography, rather created for its prurient value. Perspectives on pornography includes obscenity-based, conservative, liberal, anti-pornography feminist, and pro-pornography feminist. |
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Term
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) |
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Definition
| A type of stress reaction brought on by a traumatic event. It is characterized by flashbacks of the experience, in the form of disturbing dreams of intrusive recollections, a sense of emotional numbing or restricted range of feelings, and heightened body arousal. May be experienced by sexual assault survivors. Often seen in soldiers who have been in combat. |
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Term
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Definition
| A USA Supreme Court judge who famously said that he could not define obscenity or pornography precisely, but "I know it when I see it". |
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Term
| Preventing sexual assault |
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Definition
| Eliminating sexual assault would require massive changes in cultural attitudes and socialization practises. Education can reduce its incidence. Until basic cultural attitudes that support sexual assault change, women must take precautions; this is not the same as victim-blaming. The assailant is always responsible for the assault. Some women thwart attacks by pleading or crying, screaming, and self-defence training. However, physical resistance may spur assailants to become more aggressive. Lower risks of sexual assault by: establishing signals with other women; listing yourself in the phonebook or mailbox by initials only; use deadbolt locks; keep doorways and entries well-lit; keep keys handy when approaching the car or front door; avoid deserted areas; don't allows strange men into your home without checking their credentials; check the back seat of your car before getting in; don't give rides to hitchhikers; communicate sexual limits in advance on a date; meet a new date in a public place, in your own car; state refusal defiantly; become aware of your fears, and pay attention to your "vibes"; be especially cautious in new environments; and don't let an ex into your home if you don't feel good about them. |
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Term
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Definition
| A perspective on pornography. Sexually explicit material can promote gender equality. |
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Term
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Definition
In Canada, until the government proposed a new set of laws in 2014, prostitution was legal, but almost all the activities involved with prostitution were illegal, including: transporting or directing transport to a bawdy house; keeping, being found in, or allowing a place to be used as a bawdy house; procuring and living off the avails of prostitution; and communicating in a public place for purposes of prostitution. In 1984, a special committee appointed by the Canadian Minister of Justice recommended that prostitution offences be removed from the Criminal Code. Instead, the federal government brought in a more restrictive legislation, making it illegal to communicate with or stop a person in a public place for negotiating sexual services for payment; it was challenged under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but upheld by the Supreme Court. Police and politicians have been particularly concerned about teen prostitution. Parliament has significantly increased penalties for clients who attempt to obtain sexual services from someone under age 18. Police in Canada often use the strategy of entrapment to obtain convictions against prostitutes and their clients. Attempts over the years to legalize prostitution have been resisted by government leaders. Additional challenges have related to mandating safer working conditions for sex workers. Sex work has been viewed as a degrading activity which no one would willingly engage in, leading to a focus on exploitation of children, and human trafficking. In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the following unconstitutional, because they violated the Charter of Rights of individuals to "security of person" and freedom of expression: communicating for the purposes of prostitution, keeping a bawdy house, and living off the avails of prostitution. The court stipulated that the existing laws would remain in effect for one year, after which they would be invalid and would need to be replaced by new legislation. In response, the Conservative government proposed Bill C-36. In 2007, a small group of lawyers and sex workers launched constitutional challenges to three sections against prostitution laws, and as a result, in 2010 the Ontario Superior Court and the British Columbia Court of Appeal issued rulings that struck down Canada's prostitution laws:
1. The provision against communicating for the purposes of prostitution, because it prevents sex workers from screening potentially violent clients.
2. The provision against bawdy houses, because it denies sex workers an indoor environment, which is safer than on the streets.
3. The provision against living off the avails of prostitution, because it was too broad, and it prevented sex workers from hiring security personnel, such as escorts and drivers. |
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| Tending to excite lust. Lewd. |
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| A treatment for sexual assault survivors. Helps deal with emotional consequences, avoid self-blame, improve self-esteem, validate experiences, establish or maintain loving relationships, and mobilize social support. |
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| From the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. With colleagues, explored how disturbances in early neurodevelopmpent are related to pedophilia. Found that pedophiles are more likely to have experienced serious head injuries before age 6, and these injuries are associated with memory loss and lowered level of intelligence. Pedophilia is somewhat related to left-handedness, which may be attributable to altered fetal development. |
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Donald Butler was the owner of a store in Winnipeg that sold sexually explicit videos, and was raided by police. In his appeal to the Supreme Court, argued that according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, he had a right to freedom of expression. In 1992, three categories of obscenity were devised:
1. Material that mixes sex and violence and/or includes children
2. Material that involves sex and degradation, encouraging violence or harm to women
3. Material that is non-violent and not degrading to women, and doesn't involve children |
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| A serial murder in British Columbia who target street-based sex workers. Convicted in 2007 of murdering six street-based sex workers, and charged with the killing of 20 more. |
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| A philosopher who argued that access to sexually explicit material is a matter of individual liberty and free expression. |
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| Does research in oral sex behaviours and motives, content of online free pornography, and romantic relationships. |
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| Reported 11 cases of men who had been sexually assaulted by women, including a 37-year-old man who had been coerced into sexual intercourse by two women who accosted him at gunpoint. In another case, a 27 old man had fallen asleep in a hotel room with a woman he had just met in a bar, and awakened bound to the bed, gagged, and blindfolded, and was then forced into sexual intercourse with four different women who threatened him with castration. |
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| Reports adverse consequences of cybersex compulsiveness, including broken relationships. Partners often report feeling betrayed, ignored, and unable to compete with online fantasies. |
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| In one study of 1,213 students in grades 6 to 8, boys were more likely to report perpetration of sexual harassment, and both genders were equally likely to report victimization. Three behaviours most experienced were: homophobic name-calling; sexual comments, jokes, or looks; and flashing or mooning. Boys perpetrated more same-sex harassment, and girls more cross-sex harassment. Research on older adolescents suggests sexual taunts and advances have become an unwelcome ritual for many students. Girls are more likely to report becoming upset by sexual harassment. Most students responded passively to the harassment; hardly anyone told a teacher or filed a complaint. Large-scale studies suggest that gay, lesbian, and bisexual students experience more physical and sexual abuse than heterosexual students; attributed to stigma attached to LGB orientations. |
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| With colleagues, conducted a community-based survey of men in Windsor. Found that the most common strategy used to coerce reluctant partners into having sex involved continual arguments and verbal pressure, and the second involved providing women with alcohol or drugs. |
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| Increasing acceptance of sexually explicit material by Canadians is illustrated by the rise of female-friendly sex shops. |
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| Some Canadians travel to developing countries to have sex with children, in part because there is lower chance of being prosecuted there. In 1997, the Canadian government changed the Criminal Code to allow persecution of Canadians who sexually abuse children while out of the country. A 2002 amendment allows prosecution in Canada, even without the agreement of the other country. |
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Prostitution
The sale of sexual activity for money or goods of value. Often called the world's oldest profession; can be traced at least to ancient Mesopotamia, medieval Europe, and the sexually repressive Victorian period. The major motivation is economic; many poor women are drawn to sex work as a means of survival. In recent years the term "sex worker" has increasingly replaced "prostitute" as the preferred term for a person who engages in sex work. These terms are coined by sex workers themselves, and redefine commercial sex. Underscores the economic and labour aspects of the work, and need for worker protection. Can be a dangerous, highly stigmatized occupation. Meaningful progress towards improving safety and working conditions will likely depend on the impact of Canada's new laws regulating sex work. Beyond decriminalization, the safety and well-being of sex workers can be improved through policies that focus on occupational health and safety, and access to essential services and rights. A number of organizations provide support services to sex workers across Canada. Many factors are associated with sex work, but poverty and sexual and/or physical abuse are common in the backgrounds of many sex workers. Research in this area has focused on street workers, and may not accurately reflect characteristics of other categories of sex workers. Some voluntarily enter the business and don't see themselves as victims. |
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| More than half of all sexual assault victims in 2007 were under age 18, and 25% were under age 12. Most (81%) of those under 18 were female. In 2013, there were over 4,000 reported incidents of sexual violence against children in Canada. There are a number of additional sexual violations within the Criminal Code that apply only to victims under age 18: luring a child via a computer, sexual exploitation, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, and making sexually explicit material available to children. Ranges from exhibitionism, kissing, fondling, and sexual touching, to oral, anal, and vaginal intercourse. Sexual contact between an adult and child is abusive even if the child is willing, because children are legally incapable of consenting to sexual activity. Voluntary contact between children of similar ages is not considered sexual abuse. It is against the law for an adult or teenager to engage in any type of sexual activity with a child under age 14. Exception is activity between someone at least 12 years old, with someone who is less than two years older than them. It is illegal for a person in a position of trust or authority to have sexual contact, consensual or not, with a person under 18, as well as for an adult to use the internet to lure a person they believe is under the age of 18 for the purpose of committing sexual assault, or to entice a child believed to be under age 14 into sexual relations. In 2008, the Canadian Parliament raised the legal age of consent from 14 to 16, to protect adolescents in this age group from adult sexual exploitation. There is a close-in-age provision. It is illegal to engage in anal sex with someone under age 18; challenged as discriminatory towards gay males. Children from stable middle-class families appear to be generally at lower risk for sexual abuse than children from poorer, less cohesive families. Most victims know their attackers. The decision to report abuse largely depends on the relationship between the abuser and the person who discovers the abuse. Typically, the child initially trusts the abuser, and physical force is seldom necessary. Most children are abused only once. Those abused by family members are more likely to suffer repeated acts of abuse. Genital fondling is the most common type of abuse. Children rarely report abuse because they fear retaliation, or worry they will be blamed. Adults may notice changes in the child, or doctors may see signs during physical examination. Prevention programs help children understand what sexual abuse is and how to avoid it; teaches the difference between a good touch and a bad touch, and prepares children to handle actual encounters with molesters. Children can't always prevent the abuse, but can be encouraged to tell someone about it. Teachers and helping professionals are required to report suspected abuse, and need to be taught to recognize the signs of abuse. |
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| Sexual abuse of children survivors |
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| Children who are sexually assaulted often suffer social and emotional problems that impair development and persist into adulthood. Can cause short- and long-term psychological complaints including anger, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Abused children often "act out", and may show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. Sexual development may be adversely affected. Boys are more likely to externalize problems, and girls are more likely to internalize problems. Late adolescence and early adulthood are difficult for victims. Treatment can include psychotherapy in adulthood, which is often the first chance for survivors to confront pain, anger, and misplaced guilt. Group and individual therapy can be helpful. Can include individual therapy for the mother, child, and father, group therapy for younger children, marital therapy for the parents, and family therapy for the entire family. |
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| Sexual abusers of children |
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| The overwhelming majority of abusers are male; most are adults. Some are adolescents, who are likely to have been abused themselves. Numbers of female abusers may be greater than thought in the past. |
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Any form of sexual activity forced on another person, or non-consensual bodily contact for sexual purposes. Replaced the term "rape" in the Canadian legal system in 1983. There is no statute of limitations for persecution of sexual assault. A central issue in determining whether an assault has occurred is whether consent has been given freely. A person has to be capable of giving consent. In Canadian law, it is considered to be an act of power and dominance, rather than an act of sex. It is gender-neutral, and may be committed against or by either gender. Allows for consent to be given to some activities, but not others. People with HIV can be charged with sexual assault if they do not disclose their HIV+ status to their partner. There is a large difference between numbers of sexual assaults reported to police, and those that actually take place. Researchers estimate that only 10% of sexual assaults in Canada are reported to police. False allegations are rare. There is rising incidence of drug-facilitated sexual assaults. There are three levels:
Level 1: Involves minor physical injury, or no injury to the victim. Punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Can include touching, kissing, and oral, vaginal, or anal sex.
Level 2: The perpetrator uses or threatens to use a weapon on the victim, threatens their friends or family members, causes bodily harm to a third party, or commits sexual assault with multiple assailants. Punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Level 3: The perpetrator wounds, maims, or disfigures the victim, or endangers their life. Punishable by up to life in prison. Victimization rates are four times greater for women. |
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| Sexual assault against males |
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| Rates are far lower than those against females, but more common than people assume. There were 204,000 incidents of sexual assault committed against men in 2009. 20% of university men reported being coerced into sex within the previous year. Most are committed by other men. Most attackers are heterosexual, with motives including domination, control, revenge, retaliation, sadism, degradation, and status or affiliation. Can occur in and out of prison, or in sports hazing rituals. The media recently reported many cases of men in positions of authority assaulting boys. Survivors may experience traumatic effects similar to those of female survivors. Among gay and bisexual men, 14% were forced or coerced into sex before age 14; half reported incidents involving forced receptive anal intercourse. Men who had been sexually coerced had lower rates of self-esteem, and higher rates of depression, and were more likely to abuse alcohol and have attempted suicide. |
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| Sexual assault is terrifying; victims fear for their lives, and feel helpless. In the days and weeks following, many are in crisis, and may experience insomnia, crying, eating problems, cystitis, headaches, irritability, mood changes, anxiety, depression, and menstrual irregularities. May become withdrawn, sullen, and mistrustful. May experience guilt and shame. Emotional distress tends to peak about three weeks after the assault, and remains high for a month or two before abating. Many have more lasting problems, such as at work, with relationships, lack of sexual desire, as well as physical injury including STIs. Many do not report sexual assault to the police, because of fear of retaliation and social stigma, as well as worry that others won't believe them, and the feeling that it is hopeless to bring charges against the perpetrator. There may be concerns about negative publicity, and fear of emotional distress if the case goes to trial. Many survivors turn to friends (72%), family (41%), coworkers (33%), and doctors or nurses (13%) for support. If you are sexually assaulted: don't change anything about your body before going to the authorities, to preserve evidence; strongly consider reporting the incident; ask a relative or friend to take you to the hospital; seek help in an assertive way; question health care professionals about health risks and treatments; and consider calling a sexual assault hotline. Psychological disorders resulting from sexual assault include anxiety, depression, abuse of alcohol and substances, post-traumatic stress disorder, and lower self-esteem. Treatment is a two-stage process that helps the victim through the crisis after the attack, and fosters long-term adjustment; may include psychotherapy. |
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| Includes any sexual activity between an adult and a child, as well as the use of force or threat in order to have sexual relations. |
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| Not all men are equally likely to act in sexually aggressive ways. Researchers seek out factors that predict which men are more likely to be coercive: antisocial personalities, and long histories of violent behaviour in which violence and sexual arousal become connected. Other associated characteristics include being more aroused by portrayals of rape, coming from families with alcohol problems, abuse of alcohol, and more likely to have experienced childhood abuse, pornography during childhood, and deviant sexual fantasies during childhood and adolescence. Research is biased because it usually only includes convicted offenders. |
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| Sexually explicit material (SEM) |
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| Written visual, or audiotaped material that is graphic and produced to elicit or enhance sexual arousal, often as masturbation aid. The traditional definition of pornography. Includes pornography and erotica. Found nearly everywhere: magazines, DVD rentals, internet, cable, satellite, cellphones, and video mp3 players. May be used by couples during sex. Many Canadian employers have policies which forbid viewing SEM in the workplace; some use filtering software to screen email messages for offensive content. Some employees have lost their jobs for looking at internet SEM at work. Both men and women are physiologically aroused by SEM. Women tend to rate romantic scenes as more sexually arousing than sexually explicit scenes, and are more likely to express desire for romantic elements in SEM. Most erotic visual materials are produced by men, for men. Many women find SEM a turn-off, or disgusting, especially if it depicts women in unflattering roles. Many Canadian women are more comfortable today with posing in topless or nude photos, for fundraising calendars, or on websites. Includes boudoir photography, for relationship partners, for their own enjoyment. Many couples use digital cameras to create "home-made" SEM for private consumption. Can it be an inducement to commit sexual violence and other antisocial acts? Research reviews found little or no difference in the levels of SEM exposure between incarcerated sex offenders and felons incarcerated for nonsexual crimes. Sexually aggressive individuals are more likely than others to use pornography. Current studies are correlational. There is concern that prolonged exposure to SEM may foster dissatisfaction with the physical appearance and sexual performance of one's intimate partners. It may also contribute to unrealistic expectations about sexual functioning. Most research has come from a harm-based approach, surveys only men, and considers women as victims. An increasing amount is produced by women, for women and couples; indicates that many women are willing consumers. |
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| Sexually explicit material laws |
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| Canadian obscenity laws provide the legal framework for outlawing the dissemination of pornography. Relies on offending people or violating community standards. The Supreme Court has been strongly influenced by the anti-pornography feminist approach. Community standards of tolerance test must be applied to determine whether undue exploitation has occurred. All materials that come into Canada can be confiscated by the Canadian Border Services Agency if they are deemed to violate Canada's obscenity laws. Legal efforts to regulate SEM in Canada have been thwarted by easy access on the internet. In recent years, Canadian law enforcement has focused on identifying and prosecuting Canadians who use the internet to distribute or download child pornography. |
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| Deliberate or repeated unsolicited and unwelcome comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature. Forbidden by both federal and provincial human-rights legislation. Makes the workplace and other settings hostile. Includes unwelcome sexual jokes, sexual innuendos, to sexual assault. May include: verbal harassment; verbal abuse; subtle pressure for sexual activity; remarks about a person's clothing, body, or sexual activities; leering or ogling at a person's body; unwelcome touching, patting, pinching, or brushing against a person's body; and demands for sexual favours, accompanied by implied or overt threats against a person's job or student status, or of physical assault. Most common types includes staring, and jokes and remarks about women or about the respondents themselves. Can affect a person's job, and lead to personal difficulties. May have more to do with abuse of power than with sexual desire. Ethnic minority women may feel less free to report harassment to authorities. Minority women don't perceive the term "sexual harassment" to fully capture the racial aspects of the behaviour, and they experience more harassment than white women. Responsibility for harassment rests with the perpetrator, and the organization which permits it to take place. Individuals can take steps to reduce risk: convey a professional attitude, discourage harassing behaviour, avoid being alone with the harasser, maintain a record of harassment, talking with the harasser, writing a letter to the harasser, seeking support, filing a complaint, and seeking legal remedies. |
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| Social attitudes and myths |
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| Can include the idea that women say no when they mean yes, that women like men who are forceful and pushy, that women dress in a way that invites assault, and that women want to be assaulted. Myths create a climate which legitimizes sexual assault. Gender, gender roles, ethnicity, and endorsement of other social attitudes are associated with acceptance of these myths. Many contend that our society encourages sexual assault by socializing males into socially and sexually dominant roles. Research supports the connection between stereotypical masculine identification, and tendencies to sexually assault. Young men may come to view dates not as chances to get to know their partners, but opportunities for sexual conquest. Includes linking sexual behaviour with sports. Proposed to have roots in evolutionary history, when men were forced to compete for limited sexual resources. |
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| In 2007, conducted a study of women who visit sex shops in Ontario. Found that most were single, had higher education, and 15% had children. Most visited with their partners or by themselves. Motivation was their own and their partner's sexual pleasure. Purchased a variety of items. Most were comfortable, but 33% were embarrassed to ask questions. |
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| One of the main reasons for striking down existing prostitution laws in 2013 was that laws reduce the ability of sex workers to protect themselves from violence, abuse, and STIs. In one study, 33% of sex workers reported that they had STIs in the previous two years. Most sex workers report consistent condom use with clients, but no less so with men who were not clients. |
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| Sexual assault committed by an assailant previously unknown to the victim. The stranger often selects a target who seems vulnerable, such as a woman who lives alone, is older or mentally challenged, is walking down a deserted street, or is asleep or intoxicated. They may then search for a safe time and place to commit the crime, such as a deserted or rundown part of town, a dark street, or by breaking into a home. Accounts for 18% of incidents reported in 2007. |
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| Sex workers who solicit customers on the street. Occupy the bottom rung in the hierarchy of sex workers. The most visible type of sex worker to the public, however most sex work in Canada is not street-based. In Canada, 20% of commercial sex workers are street-based. Typically earn less than off-street sex workers, and incur a high risk of abuse by customers and pimps. In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, up to 98% have experienced violence from clients, pimps, and other sex workers. Can include homeless youth who are forced to trade sex for money, food, or shelter; known as survival sex. Research indicates that many have been physically and sexually assaulted while working. Work in the open, and are more likely to be arrested. Some work to support pimps. Research finds high levels of psychological disturbance among street-based sex workers. Often live lives of sex, violence, disease, and substance abuse. Many feel powerless to control their own fates. Many die young from drug abuse, disease, suicide, or physical abuse from pimps or customers. Those who survive become less marketable with age. Hotel workers have a slightly higher status and better working conditions. In the USA, encounter abuse and violence, and many are afraid of reporting to the police due to negative consequences such as being arrested, or being coerced into sex. |
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| Researchers in Toronto. Studied young adults involved in street life. Found that almost all had experienced pressure to have sex, and 62% of men and 42% of women admitted to having pressured dates to have sex. |
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| A form of sex work. Those who work in strip clubs typically refer to themselves as dancers. Some limit their sexual activity to dancing and taking off their clothes. Others do lap or table dances, making contacts with customers as they dance. Some strip clubs have private shows and VIP areas where strippers can be alone with clients. Most strippers do so on a part-time or temporary basis. |
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| Prior to the 1990s, sexually explicit material and nudity were rarely broadcast on television. SEM on video became very popular in the 1980s, which led to sexually explicit pay-per-view movies on cable television. Canadian satellite companies offer channels that show hard-core material. Soft-core SEM is readily available on cable. Availability may reflect acceptance by society. |
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| From Trent University. Researched the complexities of the sexual consent process. Especially critical of educational programs that assume that simply saying no means no. Research indicates that the sexual consent process involves many factors. Found that most people have nonverbal means of asking for and giving sexual consent, such as by not pulling away. Most people find it very awkward to make direct, verbal sexual requests. When someone says no to a sexual request, most people believe that they should give a reason for the refusal. |
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| Treatment of perpetrators |
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| Does treatment help the individual, or protect society? Recidivism rates in recent programs are more successful than those prior to 1980. Programs can encourage offenders to take responsibility for their actions, teach more effective coping skills, use reconditioning strategies to enhance appropriate sexual interests and reduce deviant ones, integrate offenders into the community, and help offenders avoid re-offending by meeting their intimacy and relationship needs. Other treatments can include surgical castration, and anti-androgen drugs. In 2004, the Canadian government established a sex-offender registry. Many do not register, and the list is out of date. Public notification programs have been criticized for increasing stress on the offender, and thus increase potential for re-offending. |
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| Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) survey |
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| In 2013, found that over 21,000 sexual offences were reported to the police, with 98% classified as level 1 offences. Rates of reported sexual attacks peaked in 1993, and have since declined, in all three levels of sexual assault. Highest rates reported to the police occurred in the territories of Canada. Lowest reported rates occurred in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. |
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| Persistent verbal pressure, or the use of seduction lines to manipulate a person into sexual activity. A wide spectrum of persuasion, which not all would consider coercive. Used more often than physical coercion. Tactics include: using alcohol and drugs to loosen a partner's reluctance to have sex; using obligations, expectations, and guilt; and exploiting the emotional and economic vulnerabilities. Continual arguments and verbal pressure are the most common tactics, followed by use of alcohol or drugs. Women and individuals in same-sex relationships also use verbal coercion. |
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| From Queen's University. A psychologist who hypothesizes that evolutionary psychology can account for the role of male sexual competitiveness in sexual assault. During the course of human evolution, the main constraint on male reproductive success was the limited number of potential mating partners, and as a result, males were obliged to compete with one another for mating opportunities. To increase opportunities for perpetuating genes, some men engaged in sexual coercion. |
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| Violent sexually explicit material |
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| Research suggests it is the violence in violent SEM, not the explicit sex, that potentially affects or reinforces the attitudes and behaviours of sex offenders. There is little evidence to suggest that SEM causes aggression. Men who are predisposed to sexual aggression are more likely to view violent SEM, and therefore likely to show the strongest effects. |
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| The leader of the American segment of the fundamentalist Mormon sect. Sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for sexually assaulting underage girls. |
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| Identifies five basic approaches to sexually explicit material: obscenity-based, conservative, liberal, anti-pornography feminist, and pro-pornography feminist. |
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| A rigid stereotyping of women as either sinners or saints. May be held by some clients of sex workers. They can permit themselves to enjoy sex only with sex workers, or ask only sex workers to engage in certain acts such as fellatio. When having sex with their wife or girlfriend, who they view as "saints", they engage only in conventional sexual activities such as vaginal intercourse. |
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| A psychology professor at University of Western Ontario. Conducted several experimental studies to measure the effects of SEM. With colleagues, explored the effects of computer-based, interactive erotic stimuli on men's attitudes and behaviours towards women. University men who were exposed to the stimuli showed significant increases in sexual arousal, but did not show negative changes in attitude or behaviour towards women. The stimuli did not result in aggressive behaviour towards women, affect men's attitudes towards women's rights and roles in society, or change men's perceptions of sexual assault myths. Note that while use of pornography among individuals predisposed them to sexual aggression, such as men with hostile masculinity, psychopathy, or previous sexual offences, is a cause for concern, increasing and widespread access to all types of SEM on the internet has not led to an increase in reported sex crimes. |
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| The bishop of the Bountiful, British Columbia fundamentalist Mormon sect. Admitted to having married several underage girls, but argues that freedom of religion in Canada prohibits the justice system from interfering with the church's beliefs. Charged by the British Columbia government in 2014 for engaging in polygamy. |
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| Sexual harassment in the workplace includes any behaviour of a sexual nature that interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment. The most severe type involves an employer or supervisor who makes sexual demands as a condition of employment. Recognized as a form of sexual discrimination. Harassers can be employers, supervisors, coworkers, or clients. Some workplaces ban consensual sexual contact between employees. Employers can be held responsible for their own actions, as well as sexual harassment by their employees if they are aware of it, or should have been aware of it. |
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