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

: 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:

: 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

Fondling is a mandatory reportable offense for institutions under the Jeanne Clery Act .