Copyright 2023 Marline E. Pearson
LESSON 6 119
Sexual Assault and Consent
A person cannot give legal consent to sexual activity or contact when:
Threatened, forced, coerced, pressured, or manipulated into agreeing.
Not physically able to (you are drunk, high, drugged,
passed out).
Not mentally able to (due to illness or disability).
Younger than 16 (in most states) or 18 (in others).
What is not considered consent in sexual assault?
Silence: Just because someone does not say “no” doesn’t
mean the person is saying “yes”.
Having consented before: Just because someone said “yes”
in the past does not mean the person is saying “yes” now.
Being in a relationship and/or having had prior sexual contact
with them before does not mean that there is consent now.
Being drunk or high.
Not fighting back: Not putting up a physical fight doesn’t
mean consent.
Sexy clothing, dancing, or flirting.
Remember:
Consent is an ongoing process. Saying yes to one activity (kissing, touching) does
not imply consent to another activity.
One can change their mind and choose to stop. You must stop instantly when
consent is withdrawn.
Saying yes to a sexual activity is not consent for all types of sexual activity.
Consent is a two-way street. Boys, too, must voluntarily agree to physical intimacy
and should not be subject to manipulation or pressure from girls or other guys.
Everyone on the gender spectrum has a right to say no to unwanted advances.
Consent applies to digital images, too. Forwarding or posting explicit photos/
videos sent to you without permission from the sender is not consent. And if the
person is under 18, it may be prosecuted under child sexual abuse material laws.
A victim is never to blame for the actions of a perpetrator.
See rainn.org for more information and help 24/7.
Parent/Trusted Adult: Discuss the points with your teen.
Signature: ____________________________________________________
RESOURCE 6e
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