10.2: Consent

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Dec 4, 2024
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- 10.1: Relationships
- 10.3: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

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Consent: The Foundation of Healthy Relationships

Consent is a fundamental aspect of any healthy relationship. Consent ensures that all parties involved feel safe, respected, and valued in their interactions—whether physical, emotional, or sexual. It is a mutual agreement that empowers individuals to make informed decisions without fear of pressure or coercion.

To help remember the essential components of consent, the FRIES acronym provides a helpful guide:

Freely given: Consent must be given voluntarily, without any pressure, manipulation, or influence of substances such as drugs or alcohol.
Reversible: Consent can be withdrawn at any time. If someone changes their mind during an activity, that decision must be respected immediately.
Informed: All parties must have a full understanding of what they are agreeing to. Misleading information or deceit invalidates consent.
Enthusiastic: True consent involves active and positive agreement. If someone isn’t excited or willing, it isn’t consent.
Specific: Consent applies to a particular activity at a particular time. Saying yes to one activity doesn’t mean saying yes to others.

Why Consent Matters

Practicing consent is about ensuring that boundaries are respected and all participants feel heard and safe. It fosters trust and communication, making relationships healthier and more fulfilling. In contrast, ignoring consent can lead to harm, resentment, or trauma, which are hallmarks of unhealthy relationships.

Communication and Consent

Consent thrives on open and honest communication. Asking questions, seeking clarity, and checking in with your partner are essential practices. For example, saying, “Are you comfortable with this?” or “Would you like to continue?” not only ensures consent but also strengthens mutual respect and understanding. Non-verbal cues, such as pulling away or hesitating, also need to be recognized as signals that someone may not feel comfortable. When people learn to value and practice consent in their relationships, they create an environment of respect and equality.

Exercise: Analyzing Consent in the Media

Consent is often learned from the media we consume, such as movies, books, television shows, and pornography. However, the behavior often depicted in these mediums—romantic or sexual behavior—may not always represent healthy or appropriate practices. In fact, what is presented as romantic and desirable is often problematic.

Good Example of Consent: Describe a media scene where consent is clear, respectful, and aligns with the F.R.I.E.S. model.
Bad Example of Consent: Describe a scene where consent is unclear, coerced, or not fully informed.

Reflect on how these depictions shape your understanding of consent and what they might teach viewers about healthy or unhealthy relationships.

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Exercise: Analyzing Consent in the Media

Consent: The Foundation of Healthy Relationships

Why Consent Matters

Communication and Consent

Exercise: Analyzing Consent in the Media

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