Sexual contact

Sexual contact; ancient Greek representation on a Attic - black-figure amphora ; approx. 540 BC Chr.

Under sexual contact (including sexual contact ), the sexually motivated physical contact between people understood that normally ends in sexual arousal. There are also inconsistent sexual contacts (for example, rape).

The term is very broad, begins with tenderness and fiddling over clothes and particularly means petting under or without clothes up to penetrative sexual intercourse . Typical sexual practices are vaginal or anal intercourse, oral practices such as fellatio and cunnilingus, or mutual masturbation . There is only one involved as auto sexual acts (for example, masturbation ), one does not speak of any sexual contact. Sexual acts with several participants that do not involve physical contact - such as phone sex , chat or exhibitionism - are also not considered sexual contacts. Certain forms of phone sex "are an intermediate form between sexual contact and masturbation, since they contain elements of both scenarios."

Medicine, health care and epidemiology are interested in sexual contacts with skin contact because of the possibility of passing on or receiving sexually transmitted diseases . Sociology and psychology are also interested in individual sexual contacts as well as in statistical surveys in general. Now the term is more general than “having sex”, but it can also be assumed here that everyone has their own personal definition of what experiences they mean by the term. Researchers, lecturers and health professionals should be careful not to automatically assume their own definitions from others ( individual definition of “having sex” ).

The term is also used in veterinary medicine , otherwise, for example, one speaks of mating and, in the case of plants, of pollination .

Legal Aspects

In almost all cultures, sexual contacts are subject to social rules, some of which are the subject of laws . The content of these rules varies considerably from culture to culture.

By force or even forced against the will of a person involved sexual contacts as sexual assault or rape punishable by some severe penalties. In many cultures, sexual contact between adults and children is punishable as child sexual abuse . In the Arab region in particular, there is a threat of punishment for sexual contact between unmarried people.

Sexual contact between primarily male same-sex partners is a criminal offense in around 75 countries worldwide (slightly more than 1/3 of all countries) - in third-world countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as well as in Islamic countries; In Iran , Yemen , Sudan , Saudi Arabia and Mauritania as well as in parts of Nigeria and Somalia , same-sex sexual contact is punishable by death . See also: Gay Persecution .

In the United States , sexual contact is a legal system term. It is defined in the codified federal law, the United States Code , and in the codified criminal laws of the states, and also in similar regulations of various organizations. There are small differences in the individual legal areas. According to federal law, this is the intentional direct (naked) or indirect (through clothing) touching of the genitals, the anus, the groin, the breasts, the inner thighs or the buttocks with the intention of abusing, humiliating, molesting, belittling or meant to satisfy the sexual desire. In the state of New York, for example, it is criminally restricted to people who do not live in a state-recognized relationship with the actuator and the parts of the body are not specifically listed. In the state of Texas, it is limited to the satisfaction of sexual desire. There is a separate definition for children, which includes the contact of each part of the child with its own erogenous zones. In the state of Ohio, body regions are enumerated, but with the note that this would not rule out otherwise.

etymology

After its first use, the term apparently emerged in the medical field in connection with sexually transmitted diseases, in particular gonorrhea (gonorrhea). No penetrative traffic is necessary for their transmission .

The term is mainly used in medicine and health care, in sociology and psychology, in German-language criminology and jurisprudence, it plays a smaller role, since sexual acts are mainly spoken of there. In the German-language codified sexual criminal law , it is only to be found in the headings of the very new § 208a ÖStGB ( initiation of sexual contacts with minors ) and § 2014 ÖStGB ( paid mediation of sexual contacts with minors ).

Individual evidence

^ Paul H. Gebhard: Incidence of overt homosexuality in the United States and Western Europe . In: John M. Livingood (Ed.): National institute of mental health task force on homosexuality: Final report and background papers . US Department of health, education, and welfare - National Institute of Mental Health, Washington 1972, p. 26 (English, reprint 1976 at Hathi Trust [accessed on January 21, 2015] reprints including 1976, 1992). “ We have found the most practical definition of homosexual behavior to be: physical contact between two individuals of the same gender which both recognize as being sexual in nature and which ordinarily results in sexual arousal. "(German:" We have found that the most practical definition of homosexual behavior is: physical contact between two people of the same sex, whose sexual nature is recognized by both and which usually leads to sexual arousal. ")
↑ ^a ^b United States Code . Codified federal law. 18 US Code § 2246 - Definitions for chapter (English, law.cornell.edu [accessed January 22, 2015]). “ As used in this chapter […] (3) the term“ sexual contact ”means the intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks of any person with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person; ”
↑ Dagmar Schmauks: On the way to cybersex: The mediatization of sexual contact . In: Martin Grunwald , Lothar Beyer (Hrsg.): The moving sense: Basics and applications for haptic perception . Springer Basel AG, 2013, ISBN 978-3-0348-8302-3 , pp. 257 ( limited preview in Google book search [accessed January 24, 2015] Original: Birkhäuser Verlag, 2001). “Furthermore, you can of course describe verbally how you want to touch the other person in your thoughts or how you would like to be touched by them. When making a phone call, this description of touch can become a real dialogue, as there is no time difference here. Certain forms of phone sex are therefore an intermediate form between sexual contact and masturbation, as elements of both scenarios appear in them. "
^ New York State Penal Code . Section 130.00 Sex offenses; definitions of terms ( Sexual Offenses in New York State Penal Law - slc.edu [accessed January 23, 2015]). " 3." Sexual contact "Means any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person not married to the actor for the purpose of gratifying sexual desire of Either party. It includes the touching of the actor by the victim, as well as the touching of the victim by the actor, whether directly or through clothing. ”
^ Penal Code . Texas. TITLE 5. Offenses against the person. Chapter 21. Sexual offenses ( statutes.legis.state.tx.us [accessed January 23, 2015]). “ Sec. 01/21 DEFINITIONS. [...] (2) "Sexual contact" means, except as provided by Section 21.11, any touching of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of another person with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. [...] Sec. 11/21 INDECENCY WITH A CHILD. [...] (c) In this section, "sexual contact" means the following acts, if committed with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person: (1) any touching by a person, including touching through clothing, of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a child; or (2) any touching of any part of the body of a child, including touching through clothing, with the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a person. ”
^ Ohio Revised Code . Title [29] XXIX CRIMES - PROCEDURE - Chapter 2907: SEX OFFENSES - 2907.01 Sex offenses general definitions. (English, 2907.01 Sex offenses general definitions. - codes.ohio.gov [accessed January 23, 2015]). “ 2907.01 Sex offenses general definitions. / As used in sections 2907.01 to 2907.38 of the Revised Code: […] (B) "Sexual contact" means any touching of an erogenous zone of another, including without limitation the thigh, genitals, buttock, pubic region, or, if the person is a female, a breast, for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying either person. ”

[gebhard-1] Paul H. Gebhard: Incidence of overt homosexuality in the United States and Western Europe . In: John M. Livingood (Ed.): National institute of mental health task force on homosexuality: Final report and background papers . US Department of health, education, and welfare - National Institute of Mental Health, Washington 1972, p. 26 (English, reprint 1976 at Hathi Trust [accessed on January 21, 2015] reprints including 1976, 1992). “ We have found the most practical definition of homosexual behavior to be: physical contact between two individuals of the same gender which both recognize as being sexual in nature and which ordinarily results in sexual arousal. "(German:" We have found that the most practical definition of homosexual behavior is: physical contact between two people of the same sex, whose sexual nature is recognized by both and which usually leads to sexual arousal. ")

[UScode-2246-2] United States Code . Codified federal law. 18 US Code § 2246 - Definitions for chapter (English, law.cornell.edu [accessed January 22, 2015]). “ As used in this chapter […] (3) the term“ sexual contact ”means the intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks of any person with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person; ”

[Schmauks2001-3] Dagmar Schmauks: On the way to cybersex: The mediatization of sexual contact . In: Martin Grunwald , Lothar Beyer (Hrsg.): The moving sense: Basics and applications for haptic perception . Springer Basel AG, 2013, ISBN 978-3-0348-8302-3 , pp. 257 ( limited preview in Google book search [accessed January 24, 2015] Original: Birkhäuser Verlag, 2001). “Furthermore, you can of course describe verbally how you want to touch the other person in your thoughts or how you would like to be touched by them. When making a phone call, this description of touch can become a real dialogue, as there is no time difference here. Certain forms of phone sex are therefore an intermediate form between sexual contact and masturbation, as elements of both scenarios appear in them. "

[US-NY-Code-130-4] New York State Penal Code . Section 130.00 Sex offenses; definitions of terms ( Sexual Offenses in New York State Penal Law - slc.edu [accessed January 23, 2015]). " 3." Sexual contact "Means any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person not married to the actor for the purpose of gratifying sexual desire of Either party. It includes the touching of the actor by the victim, as well as the touching of the victim by the actor, whether directly or through clothing. ”

[US-TX-Code-21-5] Penal Code . Texas. TITLE 5. Offenses against the person. Chapter 21. Sexual offenses ( statutes.legis.state.tx.us [accessed January 23, 2015]). “ Sec. 01/21 DEFINITIONS. [...] (2) "Sexual contact" means, except as provided by Section 21.11, any touching of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of another person with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. [...] Sec. 11/21 INDECENCY WITH A CHILD. [...] (c) In this section, "sexual contact" means the following acts, if committed with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person: (1) any touching by a person, including touching through clothing, of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a child; or (2) any touching of any part of the body of a child, including touching through clothing, with the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a person. ”

[US-OH-Code-2907-01-6] Ohio Revised Code . Title [29] XXIX CRIMES - PROCEDURE - Chapter 2907: SEX OFFENSES - 2907.01 Sex offenses general definitions. (English, 2907.01 Sex offenses general definitions. - codes.ohio.gov [accessed January 23, 2015]). “ 2907.01 Sex offenses general definitions. / As used in sections 2907.01 to 2907.38 of the Revised Code: […] (B) "Sexual contact" means any touching of an erogenous zone of another, including without limitation the thigh, genitals, buttock, pubic region, or, if the person is a female, a breast, for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying either person. ”