Hundreds of women have been the victims of sexual assault in recent years by people in educational or medical authority positions such as doctors or coaches.

A couple of serious offenders, such as former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University physician Larry Nassar and Dr. George Tyndall, a former USC gynecologist, are being held accountable for their crimes.

However, some women may still struggle with a sexual assault definition and wonder if the experiences they have endured qualify as sexual assault.

Michigan State Sexual Assault Scandal

USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University physician Larry Nassar has recently been given a prison sentence after being found guilty of sexually assaulting over 250 girls and women. He has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for his sexual assault crimes. Larry Nassar was on staff with USA Gymnastics and worked with hundreds of young girls and women.

USC Sexual Assault Scandal

More recently, a prominent gynecologist at USC, Dr. George Tyndall, has been accused of sexual misconduct with hundreds of women. Over 400 women have contacted an abuse hotline with stories of Dr. George Tyndall and how he was a perpetrator of sexual assault by him.

Many women who have sexual assault stories regarding Dr. Tyndall have trouble understanding if what was done to them was, in fact, sexual assault.

Sexual Assault Definition

It may seem easy for some to understand what the sexual assault definition is. But in the case of both doctors, victims allege that these men were in positions of medical authority and used their position to manipulate unsuspecting patients into believing what they were experiencing was part of a medical exam.

However, for hundreds of women and little girls, they were undergoing sexual assault. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) defines sexual assault as “sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim.”

According to RAINN, this may include attempted rape, unwanted sexual touching or fondling, requiring a victim to perform sexual acts including oral sex or penetration of the one perpetrating the sexual assault as well as actual rape, which is penetration of the victim’s body.

Under this sexual assault definition, rape is defined further as “sexual penetration without consent” as well as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim,” according to the FBI.

RAINN further clarifies the sexual assault definition by defining force. Force, according to RAINN, does not just mean physical force. Under the RAINN sexual assault definition, force also refers to intimidation, coercion, psychological force, or manipulation that can be used to force a victim into non-consensual sexual acts.

If you suspect you have been a victim of sexual assault but are not clear whether your experience fits the definition of sexual assault, you may benefit from speaking with an attorney. An experienced attorney can help you determine your legal path and help hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

UPDATE: July 2019, the USC, George Tyndall sexual misconduct class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.