Sexual abuse, also referred to as
molestation, is forcing undesired
sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called
sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or (often
pejoratively) molester. The term also covers
any behavior by
any adult or older adolescent towards a child to stimulate any of the involved sexually. When the victim is younger than the
age of consent, it is referred to as
statutory rape or
child sexual abuse.