The Complexities of Sexual Consent

Abstract:
This article begins by noting the scarcity of literature on sexual consent. It examines the types of consent that are written about in the literature: sexual consent involving individuals with limited ability to give consent (such as people with developmental disabilities and relationships with unequal power) and nonsexual consent to participate in research studies. Two themes emerge from this discussion of consent: 1) Consent requires knowledge (information not only about the sexual act but about its social meanings, as well as honesty from the people involved); and 2) Consent is meaningless unless it is given freely ("a person must be free to say yes or no"). The article discusses the differences between consent and acquiescence, in light of factors such as: the possibility of jeopardizing a person's standard of living; the idea that a relationship and sexual behavior go hand in hand; cultural rewards for heterosexual relationships; and the effect of cultural discourses (such as women as passive and compliant and men as always ready for intercourse) on what is acceptable. Finally, the article considers the problem of consent as a mental act (where one can never be certain that another person has consented) or as a verbal act (where most sexual behavior does not involve explicit verbal statements of consent).

Author(s): MUEHLENHARD, Charlene L., Ph.D.

Publication: SIECUS Report


Date Published: 12/1/1995

Pages: 4

Location Code: 11142