There are many penal codes that specifically describe different types of sexual assault. The civil code, however, is more general. The main civil code that deals with any type of unwanted sexual contact is California Civil Code 1708.5, which defines sexual battery and it reads very broadly. It says a person commits sexual battery who does any of the following:

1. acts with the intent to cause a harmful or offensive contact with an intimate part of another and a sexually offensive contact with that person directly or indirectly results;
2. a harmful or offensive contact with another by use of his or her intimate part, and a sexually offensive contact with that person directly or indirectly results,
3. acts to cause an imminent apprehension of the conduct described in 1 or 2, above. The remedies are the same for sexual battery and civil sexual battery as they are in domestic violence

Learn more about domestic violence and violent crimes.