What is Consent?

Sexual consent means to agree to engage in sexual activity.  It is never consent if you are threatened, pressured, tricked, or bribed – or if you are intoxicated, or passed out at the time of the activity.

  • Consent must be clear. If you are too afraid to yell or fight back – this is not consent. You can consent to some sexual activities, without consenting to all. For example you may agree to kiss, but you always have the right to decide on any other sexual activity. You always have the right to say “NO” to anything at any time, even if you’ve had sexual relations with this person, or any other person in the past.
  • If you are under 18 years, you can never give consent to a boss, teacher, family member or anyone in a position of trust or authority over you (a coach, a guardian).
  • A person who is under the age of sixteen cannot consent to sexual activity with another person who is five or more years old than them. A person who is under the age of fourteen years cannot consent to sexual activity with another person who is two or more years old than them. In any case, a person in authority cannot use consent as a defence of having sexual activity with a person under the age of sixteen.