This year’s theme for sexual assault awareness month is “I ask” to highlight the importance of consent. It’s crucial to ask for consent before engaging in sexual activity.

What is Consent? 

Consent must be freely given and informed, and a person can change their mind at any time.

Consent is more than yes or no. It is a dialogue about desires, needs, and levels of comfort with different sexual interactions.

Repeatedly asking someone to engage in a sexual act until they eventually say yes is not consent, it’s coercion.

Examples of Sexual Coercion:

  • Make you feel like you owe them
  • Give you compliments that sound extreme or insincere as an attempt to get you to agree to something
  • Badger you, yell at you or hold you down
  • Give you drugs and alcohol to loosen up your inhibitions 
  • Play on the fact that you’re in a relationship
  • React negatively if you say no or don’t immediately agree to something
  • Continue to pressure you after you say no
  • Make you feel threatened or afraid of what might happen if you say no
  • Try to normalize their sexual expectations

Consent is Not: 

  • Silence or lack of response
  • Yes said out of fear
  • Implied or Assumed
  • Being in a relationship, married, or having had sex before
  • Coerced or Pressured

Steps You Can Take After Sexual Assault:

You are not alone, and what happened is not your fault.

  • Call 911 if you’re in immediate danger or are injured.
  • Reach out to someone you trust. You don’t have to go through this alone.
  • Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673). When you call the Hotline, a staff member will walk you through the process of getting help at your own pace. You can also visit online.rainn.org to chat anonymously.