Module 11
How Accurate Language About Sexual Assault Supports Victims in the Criminal Justice System

Recommendations

  • Choose your language carefully
    • Use language that reflects the unilateral nature of sexual violence
    • Avoid victim-blaming language
    • Place agency where it belongs – avoid the “invisible perpetrator”
  • Avoid using the language of consensual sex when describing assaultive acts
    • Use language that describes body parts and what the victim was forced to do
  • Maintain accurate language throughout your own written and oral comments
  • Monitor media coverage and respond as appropriate
    • Praise the accurate coverage and explain what is wrong with the bad
  • Educate others about these issues
Next
Previous

This module will be available to you as soon as you complete Module 1. To complete a module, you must read each of the lessons and complete the review quiz at the end.

It is important to finish Module 1 so that you have sufficient context for the rest of the program. After that, you'll have full access to jump between lessons however works best for you.

Tip: In the left sidebar, you'll notice a vertical bar of squares. Each square represents a lesson in that module. You can see at a glance which lessons you've done (brightly colored) and which ones you have not (gray).

Return to Module 1