Consent

When consent is not given a person may feel scared and unsafe.
Sexual activity without consent is sexual assault.

If a sexual partner’s voluntary agreement is not clear, it is the responsibility of the person initiating the sexual activity to ask for consent. If pressure, threats, or manipulation are used to get someone to agree to a sexual activity that is coercion – not consent.

When consent is not given a person may feel scared and unsafe – scared they are about to be harmed or even scared their life is at risk. This fear may trigger the body’s flight, fight, freeze response. It is very common to freeze when being sexually assaulted. In this state people may not have the ability to speak or move. This silence does not imply consent.