Sexual penetration
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Common forms include vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, and oral penetration.[1] Legal systems often treat penetrative sex crimes as more serious than non-penetrative offenses.[2] Insertion of a body part or object into another person's body is described as penetration, and when a penis enters a vagina it is termed vaginal sex, while anal sex involves a penis penetrating an anus, and oral penetration can be fellatio (penis into mouth) or cunnilingus (tongue into vagina or vulva).[1]
Key facts and history
Vaginal sex is defined as insertion of a penis into a vagina.[1] Penetrative oral sex includes fellatio (penis into mouth) or tongue penetration of the vagina or vulva.[1] Under this Act, sexually penetrating a relative aged 18 or over is an offense.[3] The offense applies whether the penetration is performed by the accused or consented to by the accused.[3]
Sentencing guidelines consider penetrative sex crimes more serious than non-penetrative ones.[2] Sexual penetration of a child is treated as especially severe.[2]
What the cited sources add
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 specifies that a person aged 16 or over commits an offense by intentionally penetrating a relative's vagina or anus with any body part or object, or penetrating their mouth with a penis.[3] The same Act makes it an offense for a person aged 16 or over to consent to penetration by a relative aged 18 or over.[3] Both provisions require that the penetration be sexual and that the person knows or could reasonably know of the familial relationship.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Sexual penetration" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Starr, "Human Biology", Cengage Learning, 2008, p. 314; "Sexual intercourse"; Savage, "Savage Love from A to Z: Advice on Sex and Relationships, Dating and Mating, Exes and Extras", Sasquatch Books, 2021-09-21; Komisaruk, "The Orgasm Answer Guide", JHU Press, 2009, p. 108–109; Carroll, "Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity", Cengage Learning, 2009, p. 270–271 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sexual penetration" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Guidelines for sentencing, UK (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Sexual Offences Act 2003 retrieved 24 February 2012. facts only, no text reused. legislation.gov.uk
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sexual penetration (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Sexual penetration (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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