Defining Sexual Consent: Perspectives from a College Student Population

Bednarchik, Lori A.; Generous, Mark A.; Mongeau, Paul A.

doi:10.1080/08934215.2021.1974506

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Lack of wantedness, however, presents an interesting dilemma: does one have to want sexual contact to consent to it? That wantedness is inherent in defining sexual consent may be linked to research that has identified participants’ preoccupation with using some form of intuition to ascertain whether their sexual partner is consenting (Bednarchik et al, 2022; Hirsch et al, 2019; Jozkowski & Peterson, 2013; Marg, 2020). This was further present in how Study 2’s participants discussed sexual consent (albeit, implicitly).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, no further research was conducted on participants’ answers, leaving somewhat of a void between other variables (e.g., RMA, victimization history, gender) that may influence sexual consent definitions. More recently, Bednarchik et al (2022) explored 391 undergraduate students’ sexual consent definitions and thematic analysis generated five themes: permission, agreement, willingness, wantedness, and contextual elements. These findings align with previous literature but also highlight the variety in students’ definitions.…”

Section: Sexual Consent Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Defining and Measuring Sexual Consent within the Context of University Students’ Unwanted and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: A Systematic Literature Review

Anyadike-Danes

Reynolds

Armour

et al. 2023

Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

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Lack of sexual consent forms the foundation of unwanted (and nonconsensual) sexual experiences (USEs), yet research suggests it is not well understood amongst university students. While the prevalence of USEs has been well documented within the university context, less is known about how sexual consent is defined or measured. This review aims to identify a consistent sexual consent definition and how current research examining USEs defines and measures sexual consent amongst university students. A systematic review of nine electronic databases (2000–2022) was conducted, and the results were assessed against inclusion criteria (e.g., studies had to focus exclusively on university students). Thirty-three articles were identified and reviewed against the study aims. Sexual consent was more often implicitly defined across measures and articles. Four themes were identified (incapacitation, use of force, use of threats, and lack of wantedness) across the implicit definitions but varied by study with some implicitly defining sexual consent within the context of a relationship. Only three studies explicitly defined sexual consent, referring to it as a willingness to engage in sexual behavior. Measures assessed sexual consent communication or, attitudes and behaviors that might predict sexual aggression. Two studies examined students’ individual sexual consent conceptualizations. Sexual consent appears to be contextual so future research should examine the variability of sexual consent in student samples. Students may indeed rely on implicit sexual consent definitions (rather than explicit) but more research is needed. Lastly, researchers should take care to be clear on their sexual consent definitions, both in text and within measures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sexual Consent Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining and Measuring Sexual Consent within the Context of University Students’ Unwanted and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: A Systematic Literature Review

Anyadike-Danes

Reynolds

Armour

et al. 2023

Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Sexual consent is a highly debated and complicated communicative construct with varying definitions (Bednarchik, Generous, & Mongeau, 2022;Beres, 2007). Research is needed to better understand ways of educating young adults about the concept of affirmative sexual consent and increase their intentions to enact this behavior within their future sexual interactions.…”

Section: Purpose Of the Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scholars have defined sexual consent as: Any agreement to participate in sex (Archard, 1998;Dripps, 1992); the absence of force or coercion (Hickman & Muehlenhard, 1999); and involving internal feelings and external signs of willingness or wanting to have sex (Hickman & Muehlenhard, 1999). Furthermore, Bednarchik et al (2022) defines consent as permission, agreement, and willingness to engage in sexual activity indicated by each participant of sound mind (i.e., sober, and not under the influence). In the present study, sexual consent is defined based on an affirmative approach to sexual consent, which means that consent is an affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity, a process that is continuous, and should happen at all stages of sexual activity.…”

Section: Defining Sexual Consent and Sexual Consent Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

When “Yes Means Yes”: Short-Term Effects of an Educational Video on Acceptance of Ideals Related to Affirmative Sexual Consent Among Young Adults

Beeler-Blackburn,

Wong

2023

SMC

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Sexual violence is a prevalent problem impacting college students across the United States. One of the prevention efforts suggested to deal with this concern is to better educate young adults about the ideals of sexual consent. Specifically, many colleges and universities have focused their attention to promote the practice of an affirmative sexual consent standard. Using the theory of planned behavior as the theoretical framework, an experimental study was conducted to test the effectiveness of a short educational video on increasing participants’ acceptance of an affirmative consent standard related to sexual consent, as reflected in more positive attitudes, norms, and greater perceptions of behavioral control related to the enactment of affirmative consent within sexual interactions. Participants were also asked about their endorsement of an indirect approach to sexual consent following viewing of the educational video. Overall results found support for most of the hypotheses, as the findings have practical implications for college health practitioners interested in promoting healthier sexual beliefs, specifically the acceptance of an affirmative consent standard for sexual consent.

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“…Previous studies indicate that young people perceive sexual consent as conscious mutual agreement or willingness to engage in sexual activity without force and coercion (Beare & Boonzaier, 2020; Bednarchik et al, 2022; Brady et al, 2018; Holmström et al, 2020; Jozkowski et al, 2014). Studies further suggest that young people recognize the importance of establishing sexual consent, and perceive the absence of consent as a form of sexual violence (Whittington, 2021; Wignall et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I Wouldn’t Believe Her at First”—A Qualitative Study of Young People’s Sexual Consent Perceptions and Negotiation in Nairobi Informal Settlements

Oware

Angeles²,

Ntinyari³

et al. 2023

J Interpers Violence

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Forced or coerced sexual experiences have serious consequences for young people’s health and well-being. Healthy sexual consent communication can foster positive intimate relationships and help prevent unwanted sexual experiences. We aimed to explore how young people in Nairobi’s informal settlements construct, communicate, and negotiate sexual consent within heterosexual partnerships, given the limited insight into such experiences from resource-poor, global-south contexts. A qualitative study with young men and women aged 15 to 21 years was conducted among former participants of a school-based sexual violence prevention intervention in four informal settlements (slums) of Nairobi. Twenty-one individual in-depth interviews ( n = 10 females, n = 11 males) and 10 focus group discussions (five with n = 6–11 males vs. females, respectively), that is, n = 89 in total were conducted. Data were analysed using thematic network analysis and interpreted using the Sexual script theory. Participants’ endorsement of incongruent sexual scripts shaped their perceptions and negotiations of sexual consent. Young men were committed to respecting sexual consent, but promoted male (sexual) dominance, and perceived women’s refusals as token resistance. Per traditional scripts of sexual chastity, young women were largely bound by their use of a “soft no” to give consent, so as to not display direct sexual interest. Actual non-assertive refusals thus risked being interpreted as consent. Young women’s “actual” refusals had to be more assertive (saying a “hard no”) and were described as having been influenced by skills learned during the school-based intervention. Findings highlight the need for sexual consent education to address internalized gendered norms about female token resistance, destigmatize female sexuality, reduce male dominance norms, and encourage young people’s respect for both assertive and non-assertive sexual consent communication.

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Defining Sexual Consent: Perspectives from a College Student Population

Cited by 6 publications

References 27 publications

Defining and Measuring Sexual Consent within the Context of University Students’ Unwanted and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: A Systematic Literature Review

Defining and Measuring Sexual Consent within the Context of University Students’ Unwanted and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: A Systematic Literature Review

When “Yes Means Yes”: Short-Term Effects of an Educational Video on Acceptance of Ideals Related to Affirmative Sexual Consent Among Young Adults

“I Wouldn’t Believe Her at First”—A Qualitative Study of Young People’s Sexual Consent Perceptions and Negotiation in Nairobi Informal Settlements

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