Edinburgh Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre

Means supporting a survivor to speak up for what she wants or needs. It includes supporting her with practical issues and speaking on her behalf e.g. contacting other agencies or accompanying her to appointments.

The term \"black\" is acknowledged as a positive all-inclusive term for people who are not \"white\". Referring to people as black is not offensive. The term minority ethnic is a general term used to refer to all groups of people that are not recorded under the white British ethnic group category.

Is any type of sexual assault on a child under 16. It may involve physical contact or non-contact acts. It can take different forms which may include: sexual touching, masturbation, sexual intercourse, showing pornography or talking sexually.

Sexual violence removes the sense of choice and control. To empower means the process of change to reclaim a sense of personal power. This can happen through being listened to and believed, and supported to make your own choices. Sexual violence removes the sense of choice and control. At EWRASAC we therefore work to the empowerment model of support. This means we do not tell women what to do or how they should feel, as we believe that women are the experts in their own lives. We work to help them find their own ways of coping and dealing with their problems, and take control of their life.

Is a memory of a frightening or painful experience which occurred either in childhood or adulthood. It tends not to be an ordinary memory, but more a sudden and unexpected intrusion which can last for a few seconds to a few hours. During a flashback you may feel like you are ‘reliving’ the events. It can feel almost as real as when it originally happened. They can take different forms including visual, auditory or sensory. They are often triggered by anything that reminds you of the trauma you experienced.

Is a sudden, unexpected anxiety attack. It is often an intense sense of distress or fear that something awful is going to happen. What happens to the body is described as the ‘fight or flight’ response to threat – where adrenalin is released into the body, increasing the heart rate. There are exercises which can be undertaken to reduce their effects.

Is a violent crime which can have a devastating affect. The current legal definition is ‘sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent’. The penis has to enter the vagina, but this does not have to be by much. The man does not need to ejaculate. What women and men experience may not fit the legal definition, and they may use different words to describe what happened to them, but it can be just as upsetting and frightening. Rape is not about sexual desire. It is about power, control and humiliation, and is an assault on a woman’s body, mind and dignity.

A new bill, the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2008, has recently been brought before the Scottish Parliament. This bill recommends that the current legal definition of rape is broadened out to include vaginal, anal and oral penetration by the penis. Under the new bill, both women and men can be raped.

Is the organised sexual, physical, psychological (mental) and emotional abuse of one or more children, adolescents or adults. It usually involves a group or groups of people of both sexes. This often involves family members. It can be practiced as part of a religion or a belief system, which abusers use as a means to control the individual and justify their actions.

Is a broad term which applies to an assault which has a sexual element to it. The sexual element must be without consent. It includes a range of ‘indecent’ behaviour including: forced oral or anal sex, penetration with an object, or forced masturbation. The perpetrator and the victim can be male or female. These offences are not more or less serious than rape. They are all frightening, intimidating and violent.

Is any kind of unwanted sexual behaviour. It can take many forms, which include: unwanted touching, flashing, sexual harassment, threats of violence, pressurised sex, penetration by objects, pornography, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault or forcing a woman into prostitution. Most forms of sexual violence are criminal offences in Scotland, and all of them have a significant and harmful impact which can be just as distressing as rape itself. Sexual violence can happen to anyone, and it is an abuse of power and a form of control that aims to cause humiliation, fear and intimidation.

We use the term ‘survivor’ rather than ‘victim’ to refer to those who have experienced sexual violence. The meanings of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ are very different. We feel the term ‘victim’ is disempowering as it does not recognise the process the individual has undertaken after the event to come through their experience and enable them to move on with their life – to survive. We therefore use the term ‘survivor’ in the same way it is used to describe someone who survives, and lives on after a plane crash or the trauma of war.

We use the term ‘survivor’ rather than ‘victim’ to refer to those who have experienced sexual violence. The meanings of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ are very different. We feel the term ‘victim’ is disempowering as it does not recognise the process the individual has undertaken after the event to come through their experience and enable them to move on with their life – to survive. We therefore use the term ‘survivor’ in the same way it is used to describe someone who survives, and lives on after a plane crash or the trauma of war.

Is an umbrella term used to describe individuals and groups of people who do not conform to the view of society of being male or female. It includes: transsexuals (man to woman and woman to man), transvestites, intersex and androgynous people.

Triggers are smells, places, dates and names that trigger a memory or emotional or physical response. Survivors of sexual violence may experience a range of triggers, including certain tastes, words or objects, or someone who resembles your abuser. These can lead to an intense physical and emotional reaction, such as a flashback or panic attack. There are ways of helping to cope with triggers which you can talk to your support workers about to find out more or see our leaflet on flashbacks and panic attacks.