Definitions

Sexual Assault

Sexual Assault is compelling by force, or by threat of force the following: sexual penetration of the vagina or anus, including by an object; oral sex; or contact with a person’s genital area, groin, anus, inner thighs, buttocks or breasts for the purpose of sexual gratification of the actor or for the purpose of degrading or humiliating the victim.
Sexual assault is also intentionally subjecting another to such contact without consent. Any person can be a victim or a perpetrator.
Examples of sexual assault include: rape, attempted rape, intentional touching without consent of a person’s genital area, groin, anus, inner thighs, buttocks or breast for sexual gratification or to degrade the victim.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment may include any unwelcome sexual advance or request for sexual favors, or any conduct of a sexual nature when submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s education; submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for academic decisions affecting the individual; or such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment.

Examples of conduct which may constitute sexual harassment include but are not limited to:

• sexual flirtation, touching, advances or propositions
• verbal abuse of a sexual nature
• pressure to engage in sexual activity
• graphic or suggestive comments about an individual’s dress or appearance
• use of sexually degrading words to describe an individual
• display of sexually suggestive objects, pictures or photographs
• sexual jokes
• stereotypic comments based upon gender
• threats, demands or suggestions that retention of one’s educational status is contingent upon toleration of or acquiescence in sexual advances.

Stalking

Any behaviors or activities occurring on more than one (1) occasion that collectively instill fear in the victim and/or threaten her/safety, mental health and/or physical health. Such behaviors or activities may include, but are not limited, whether on or off campus, non‐consensual communications face to face, telephone, email, etc., threatening or obscene gestures, surveillance or being present outside the victim’s classroom or workplace.

Relationship Violence

Including intimate partner violence, which is any physical or sexual harm against an individual by a current or former spouse or by a partner in a dating relationship that results from (1) sexual assault, (2) sexual assault in a spousal or cohabiting relationship; (3) domestic violence (which includes various crimes and first, second and third degree stalking as more specifically defined in Connecticut State Law

• physical abuse, which can include but is not limited to, slapping, pulling hair or punching.
• threat of abuse, which can include but is not limited to, threatening to hit, harm or use a weapon on another (whether victim or acquaintance, friend or family member of the victim) or other forms of verbal threat.
• emotional abuse, which can include but is not limited to, damage to one’s property, driving recklessly to scare someone, name calling, threatening to hurt one’s family members or pets and humiliating another person.