Ambiguity of Assault …show more content…
Merriam-Webster defines “assault” as a “violent physical or verbal attack,” and although this definition encompasses such a wide-range of behavior, it is typically interpreted with a much narrower scope with respect to sexual assault cases. Due to the various levels of interpretation, victims often struggle with the process of trying to label their encounters as assault and may even deem them ‘unworthy’ of the term depending on the perceived severity of the situation (Fisher, Daigle, & Cullen, 2010). If the victim perceives the encounter as being less severe, they are unlikely to label it as an assault or to report it as such. The process of classification in these instances can be seen as the product of rape culture because as the victim deems the encounter to be of a lesser severity, the actions become accepted as inevitable and almost