We are all familiar with the terms rape and sexual assault. We’ve been trained on what constitutes rape and the damaging effects it has on the victim and the Air Force mission. The Air Force is currently being trained on Bystander Intervention to learn how to identify and act on situations that are sexually inappropriate or unsafe. However, the topic of sexual coercion is not as widely discussed.
According to Dr. Stuckman-Johnson, sexual coercion is the act of using pressure, alcohol, drugs or force to have sexual contact with someone against his or her will. It’s persistent attempts to have sexual contact with someone who has already refused. Simply put; sexual coercion is being persuaded to have sex or engage in any type of sexual activity when you don’t want to. It is when someone tries to make you feel you have to have sex, or that having sex is the right choice, even when you have doubts. Sexual coercion is an onslaught of advances that too often are dismissed as “
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