What is sexual harm?

When people hear the term “sexual harm”, many of them think only of the most violent crimes, such as rape and sexual assault. But, at Shared Roots, we use this term for a specific reason: The array of what can constitute “sexual harm” goes far beyond what is considered a crime under criminal law or even what is actionable under civil law. Broadly speaking, sexual harm is any unwanted behavior of a sexual nature directed at someone who has not enthusiastically consented; these behaviors can include sexual harassment, assault, or coercion; rape; revenge porn; and many other forms of gender-based violence and harm of a sexual nature. At Shared Roots, we do not seek to label or define the specific harm or whether the person harmed would have recourse under the law. Rather by using restorative and transformative justice principles, we ask if they experienced hurt and were negatively affected by what occurred. The question isn’t “What is the specific sexual crime?” but “Who was harmed and what do they need to heal?”