What is sexual violence?

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Sexual violence is when someone has sexual contact with someone else without their consent. It could include someone threatening someone else, forcing them physically, or intimidating them. Sexual contact with someone who can't consent is also sexual violence.

There are a lot of different kinds of sexual violence, including rape, child sexual abuse, sex trafficking, sexual harassment in person, and sexual harassment online.

How often does it happen?

 Sexual assault happens in Maine. One in five adult Mainers have been the victim of rape or attempted rape in their life. Rape is the least reported crime to law enforcement. If you're looking for more statistics and facts about sexual assault, please visit the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault's statistics page.

Maine Resources

Rape Response Services staff can help connect you to any of the following resources. 

Maine's Sexual Assault Support Centers
Rape Response Services is one of many sexual assault support centers in Maine. If you live in Piscataquis or Penobscot Counties, we are your local center. You can click this link to find other centers in Maine.

​Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault 
The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault is organized to end sexual violence and to support high quality sexual violence prevention and response within Maine communities. We are a member of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Legal Services for the Elderly
​LSE provides persons age 60 and over with free legal advice regarding health care, health insurance, Medicare (including Part D), MaineCare (Medicaid), Social Security and other public benefits, pension and retirement benefits, powers of attorney, consumer matters including creditor and bankruptcy problems, physical and financial abuse, guardianship defense, and other issues.

Maine Army National Guard – SARC
​The Maine Army National Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program is designed to help prevent and respond to sexual assault among members of the military in Maine.

Maine Attorney General
​The Maine Attorney General represents the State of Maine and its agencies in civil actions; prosecuting claims to recover money for the State; investigating and prosecuting homicides and other crimes; consulting with and advising the district attorneys; enforcing proper application of funds given to public charities in the State; and giving written opinions upon questions of law submitted by the Governor, Legislature, or state agencies.

Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence
The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence seeks to create and encourage a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists, and to ensure that all people affected by domestic abuse and violence are supported and that batterers are held accountable. MCEDV mobilizes and coordinates community action through a statewide network of domestic violence projects.

Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention
​The Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention (MCEAP) supports collaborative efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. MCEAP promotes a unifying vision which addresses elder abuse, and drives this vision by advocating for public policy, supporting collaboration between existing resources, and facilitating cross-disciplinary communication. MCEAP acts as a resource for training and education efforts among existing stakeholders. MCEAP is comprised of over 80 organizations and individuals from across Maine.

Maine Department of Corrections Victim Services
​This website accesses the information provided by the Department of Corrections for victims of crime. The information includes, but is not limited to, sentencing information, anticipated date of release, place of confinement, and restitution status of those convicted of crimes relating to the victim.

Maine District Attorneys
District attorneys work with law enforcement and represent the government in prosecuting criminal offenses.

Maine Network of Children's Advocacy Centers
The mission of the Maine Network of Children's Advocacy Centers is to promote the development, growth, and utilization of CACs and multi-disciplinary teams to more effectively respond to Maine's sexually abused children and their families.

Maine Resilience Building Network
MRBN is a collective of individuals and organizations in Maine dedicated to building resilience in Maine’s people and communities.

Maine Secretary of State Address Confidentiality Program
​The Address Confidentiality Program is administered by the Secretary of State and provides an important service to residents of the State of Maine who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The ACP provides a designated address to victims who have moved to a new location unknown to their abuser. It also provides participants with a free first-class confidential mail forwarding service. This website provides additional information.

Maine Sex Offender Registry
​The Sex Offender Registry website is maintained by the Maine State Police, State Bureau of Identification and is intended to provide the public information concerning the location of registered offenders currently within Maine. The registration information contained on the Maine Sex Offender Registry is updated on a daily basis to reflect the most current information on file with the State Bureau of Identification.

Maine Sex Trafficking & Exploitation Network
The Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network provides training, technical assistance, and resources to direct service providers engaged in anti-trafficking efforts in Maine, as well as community awareness and public policy support. Maine STEN is a program of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Maine State Computer Crimes Unit
The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (formerly Maine Computer Crimes Task Force) is a multi-jurisdictional entity designed to primarily assist law enforcement officers and prosecutors in Maine with the investigation and prosecution of computer crimes. Computer crimes are those in which a computer is used as an instrument in committing, or assisting in the commission of a crime, or in which the computer is a target of a criminal act. Additional information about the Maine State Computer Crimes Unit can be found at the following website address.

Maine Suicide Prevention Program Hotline
​If you are concerned about yourself or about someone else, call the crisis hotline at 1-888-568-1112. If you are not in Maine, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The link also provides information about the Maine Suicide Prevention Program.

Maine Victim Witness Advocates
Victim Witness Advocates work within the criminal justice system to provide support to crime victims in dealing with the inconvenience and anxiety of going to court and understanding the often confusing procedures of the criminal justice process. You can contact Maine’s Victim Witness Advocates through their associated District Attorney’s office.

Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project
The Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) coordinates the volunteer efforts of Maine attorneys and community members to help low-income people navigate the civil justice system. They provide free information, brief assistance, and pro-bono legal representation in civil legal matters to qualifying clients. Their volunteers give low-income Mainers the tools and the knowledge to be equal participants in the legal system.

Partners for Peace
Partners for Peace provides support, advocacy and safety planning to anyone affected by domestic abuse. 

Penquis
Sometimes people need help with a few different parts of life, like childcare, housing, or heating assistance. Penquis can help. Penquis is a community of people who have joined in a common mission to assist individuals and families in preventing, reducing, or eliminating poverty in their lives and, through partnerships, to engage the community in addressing economic and social needs. Penquis serves low- and moderate-income people in Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Knox Counties.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance
Pine Tree Legal Assistance is a nonprofit corporation established in 1966 by private attorneys in Maine to promote access to justice by providing high quality free legal assistance responsive to the immediate needs of individual low-income clients and to address the long-range barriers to justice affecting low-income people in Maine.

Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Program
The Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Program provides training and technical assistance for healthcare providers that care for patients who have suffered sexual assault, and in the use of the Maine sex crimes kit for collection of evidence. This national model utilizes an interdisciplinary, community-based approach for the dignified and compassionate care and treatment of sexual assault patients. The SAFE Program is under the jurisdiction of the Maine Attorney General’s Office. This link provides more information on the program.

Wabanaki Women’s Coalition
The Wabanaki Women’s Coalition’s mission is to increase the capacity of Tribal Communities to respond to domestic and sexual violence, and influence Tribal, National, and Regional systems to increase awareness, safety, justice and healing for all their relations.

Looking for more info?

If you're looking for more statistics and facts about sexual assault, please visit the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault's statistics page.