Rethinking the concept of consent for anti-sexual violence activism and education

Abstract

Sexual violence prevention has shifted from centering around a message of 'no means no' toward a message of 'get consent.' This paper explores how young adults conceptualise consent in relation to how they talked about expressing a willingness to participate in sex. The analysis here argues that understandings of consent are disconnected from how young people understand communication about sex. Consent is viewed as a formal minimum requirement for 'ok' sex. At the same time, young people were more sophisticated when discussing how they understand and communicate a willingness to have sex. Implications for sexual violence prevention education and research on sexual consent are discussed.

Sexual consent as transcendence: A phenomenological understanding

“…In some respects, research has identified this concept of consent as ongoing (Beres, 2010;Beres, 2014;Humphreys, 2004) and that some educators and scholars have identified important skills needed to assess for consent in an ongoingmanner (Jozkowski, 2015;Pineau, 1989). Some educators are also designing (Carmody, 2015) and assessing (Carmody, 2015) programs that begin to address these complexities, supplying skills for seeking and giving clarity in sexual encounters in an ongoing way.…”

“…Some researchers have identified consent as an ongoing, continuous process (Beres, 2014;Humphreys, 2004). Consent is something given or obtained and can be renewed as sexual behavior continues.…”

Contributions From Psychology to Effectively Use, and Achieving Sexual Consent

“…The change from "no means no" to the message of "get consent" caused several scholars analyze how young adults conceptualize consent (Beres, 2014). Worried for sexual violence prevention, education, and research on sexual consent, Beres studies the understanding of consent, from a perspective based on "communication about sex" and not only "ok sex."…”

Communicating consent: An investigation of predictors of college student sexual consent communication

“…In order to address some of the unique circumstances that college students experience, many institutions of higher education have created prevention programs targeting sexual violence and policies around the concept of consent. Prevention programs include educational programs such as facilitated lectures and workshops as well as educational materials designed to increase awareness (Beres, 2014). These interventions have demonstrated outcomes such as increased awareness of rape myths, increased empathy for victims, increased sexual assault awareness, and increased bystander behavior (Bradley, Yeater, & O'Donohue, 2009;Foubert, Godin, & Tatum, 2010;Hanson & Gidycz, 1993).…”

“…The majority of U.S. high schools provide abstinence-only education that tend to not be inclusive, often include inaccurate information, and do not address consent (Kantor et al, 2008;Muehlenhard et al, 2016). While many institutions of higher education have implemented facilitated lectures, workshops, and educational campaigns to increase awareness of sexual assault and consent, none have demonstrated outcomes specific to consent (Beres, 2014). In addition, many of these programs do not reflect the sexual scripts of college students and do not clearly define what constitutes consent (Johnson & Hoover, 2015;Muehlenhard et al, 2016;Reynolds, 2004).…”