Which condition is listed as defining sexual abuse?

Which condition is listed as defining sexual abuse?

• A. Forcible compulsion
• B. Victim physically helpless
• C. Victim is less than 11 yrs old
• D. Victim is less than 13 yrs old and the actor is 21 or older

Answer: (A)

Sexual abuse is defined by forcible compulsion—the offender uses force, threats, or coercion to obtain sexual contact or activity from the victim. That element goes to the heart of what makes the act sexual abuse, because it focuses on the offender’s power and the victim’s lack of consent. The other options describe circumstances that relate to other offenses or factors that can raise or change charges (for example, age-related statutes or situations where the victim can’t resist), but they don’t establish the defining feature of sexual abuse itself.

Sexual abuse is defined by forcible compulsion—the offender uses force, threats, or coercion to obtain sexual contact or activity from the victim. That element goes to the heart of what makes the act sexual abuse, because it focuses on the offender’s power and the victim’s lack of consent. The other options describe circumstances that relate to other offenses or factors that can raise or change charges (for example, age-related statutes or situations where the victim can’t resist), but they don’t establish the defining feature of sexual abuse itself.