Fondling (2026)

: Victims who do not wish to pursue criminal or judicial action can often file confidential reports . These reports help institutions track patterns of activity and improve community safety while protecting the victim's identity.

: 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.

Definitions of fondling focus on the intent of the actor and the nature of the contact: fondling

: Educational institutions must disclose statistics for fondling incidents in their annual crime reports to the Department of Education .

: Law enforcement agencies report fondling incidents to the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to help quantify national crime trends. Investigation Procedures : Victims who do not wish to pursue

: 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

: Legal statutes, such as those in Michigan , define "erotic fondling" as touching a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or breasts (including developing breast areas in children). This includes instances where the victim is unable

When a fondling report is made, specialized investigators (such as Title IX officers) follow standardized protocols: National Incident-Based Reporting System Volume 1