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>I used it to counter the opposite extreme posited by the article, that even unpleasant or unwanted or unexpected touching qualifies as "assault" Unwanted touc
by loewenskind 16y ago
>I used it to counter the opposite extreme posited by the article, that even unpleasant or unwanted or unexpected touching qualifies as "assault"
Unwanted touching absolutely qualifies as assault. Imagine a movie theater, sick of people videoing their movies, started doing "pat downs" like this. It would be very clearly sexual assault then. And if the person they were touching were a child it would be even more clear.
- cookiecaper 16y agoNo, it would not be "sexual assault". It would again be unpleasant or unwanted touching. I'm not endorsing that, but I don't think technicalities about the term are appropriate. Sexual assault is a serious thing, pat downs are definitely unpleasant and bad, but they are not like serious assaults.
- agentultra 16y agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_assault http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_assault inappropriate touching is sexual assault in many jurisdictions. I don't think many men seem to understand this. The rules are clear regarding the TSA agent's responsibilities. The agent didn't meet those responsibilities. They proceeded to touch this woman in ways she didn't consent to. In many places in the world, and in my own opinion, that is sexual assault and is not worthy of being down-played or dismissed.
- cookiecaper 16y agoRight, _technically_ it is "sexual assault" by legal definitions. But that's not what you invoke when you say "I've been sexually assaulted". It's about the common usage and the denigration of the terminology that affects victims of serious cases negatively.
- loewenskind 16y agoThis isn't a pat down. They trace your genitals with their finger through your cloths. If a teacher did this to a child they would be on the national sex offenders registry for the rest of their lives.