Consent is defined as an enthusiastic and freely given ‘yes’ to any sexual activity. Sexual activity without consent is sexual assault. Consent must be given for each sexual activity, even if consent has been given before. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
Someone can NOT give consent if:
You DO have consent if:
The enthusiastic and freely given ‘yes’ you receive is reflected both verbally and in your partner’s body language
You partner is awake, alert, sober, and interested
You have discussed with your partner what one another’s boundaries are, and continue to communicate with your partner before and at each stage of an encounter
You DO NOT have consent if:
You coerce someone into saying yes by begging, pleading or threatening them
You make someone feel guilty for saying no
You imply threats (e.g., by towering over them, blocking the door, etc.)
You lie about what you’re going to do
You’re abusing your position of trust, power and/or authority
Important points about consent
- Consent means both people deciding together to do the same thing at the same time, in the same way with each other.
- Consent is active, not passive.
- Getting consent means you don’t make assumptions about what your partner does or does not want.
- Consent to one form of sexual activity does not automatically imply consent to other forms of sexual activity.
- The responsibility for consent rests on the person initiating each sexual activity.
- Touching someone or making them touch you in a sexual way without their permission is sexual assault.
- If someone says no and you keep pressuring them, that is considered coercion.
- It is not your partner’s job to resist but your job to respect their boundaries and seek clarification if unsure.