Defining Sexual Violence Sexual violence is a worldwide epidemic that has devastating and long-lasting effects on victims. The terms sexual abuse and sexual assault are often used interchangeably. Most often the term “sexual abuse” is used when the victim is under 18 years old and “sexual assault” is used when the victim is over 18 years old. For the purposes of this document, “sexual violence” will be used more often as it provides a better description of the impact it has on victims. Women are more often the victims than men; however, all races, cultures, and societies are affected by sexual assault and child sexual abuse (Davies and Jones, 2013). It is nearly impossible to determine exactly how many women were victimized. There are two main reasons that make such estimates difficult. First, there are so many different definitions and terms used to describe sexual abuse and violence, and the definitions vary from state to state (Holcomb & Holcomb, 2011). According to Holcomb and Holcomb (2011, p 27), sexual violence is used as an umbrella term, encompassing a large number of sexual behaviors – physical, verbal and psychological – that violate an individual's health and well-being. Holcomb and Holcomb (2011) provide their definition of sexual violence as “any type of sexual behavior or contact in which consent is not freely given or obtained and is obtained through force, intimidation, violence, coercion, manipulation, threat, deception or abuse”. of authority” (p. 28). In contrast to Holcomb and Holcomb's broad definition of sexual violence, many researchers advocate a narrower interpretation to avoid over-reporting, thus inflating the statistics (Holcomb and Holcomb, 2011). The Lancashire Sexu...... middle of paper...... like to be isolated; for this reason he responds to the victim with grace, peace and mercy. Ultimately, healing occurs because of a new identity found in Christ. Christ removes the identity of “victim” transforming it into an identity of child of the living God that is offered only through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Conclusion Sexual violence is horrible and happens too often, and it is something that should never happen. Sexual violence is a grave sin against a woman; one that saddens and angers his Creator. Psychological effects associated with the assault such as shame, guilt, depression, and anxiety can haunt the victim for many years after the assault. While there are many effective medical and psychological treatments that can greatly benefit a woman who has experienced sexual violence; none of them can replace the redemptive healing that comes from God.