Definitions of fondling focus on the intent of the actor and the nature of the contact:
In legal and safety contexts, is defined as the non-consensual touching of a person's private body parts for sexual gratification. It is classified as a serious sexual offense under various institutional and state frameworks, often falling under the umbrella of sexual assault or sexual misconduct. Legal and Technical Definitions fondling
: Law enforcement agencies report fondling incidents to the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to help quantify national crime trends. Investigation Procedures Definitions of fondling focus on the intent of
: Educational institutions must disclose statistics for fondling incidents in their annual crime reports to the Department of Education . When a fondling report is made, specialized investigators
: The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, without the victim's consent. This includes instances where the victim is unable to give consent due to age or mental incapacity.
When a fondling report is made, specialized investigators (such as Title IX officers) follow standardized protocols: National Incident-Based Reporting System Volume 1
: Contact that is merely affectionate and not for the purpose of real or simulated overt sexual gratification is typically excluded from this definition. Reporting and Statistics