Resources
The Importance of Consent
Communication, honesty and respect make sexual relationships better. Asking for and obtaining consent shows respect for yourself and your partner. It eliminates the entitlement that one partner might feel over the other. Neither your body nor your sexuality belongs to someone else.
What is Consent?
- Consent is an intelligent, knowing, voluntary, sober, enthusiastic, creative, wanted,
informed, mutual, honest, and clearly communicated agreement.
- Consent is an active agreement; consent cannot be coerced. Consent is required by
law and by University policy.
- Consent shall not be deemed or construed to mean the failure by the victim to offer
physical resistance to the offender.
- Consent is a process: if you want to move to the next level of sexual intimacy, ask.
- Consent is never implied and cannot be assumed, even in the context of a relationship. Just because you are in a relationship does not mean that you have permission to have sex with your partner.
A person who is incapacitated by alcohol or other drugs cannot give consent. If you're too drunk to make decisions and communicate with your partner, you're too drunk to consent.
The absence of a "no" doesn't mean "yes."
Both people must be involved in the decision to have sex.