Define Sexual Consent

There is a definite correlation between alcohol and sexual assault. A sexual assault can be defined as a sexual act occurring without verbal consent, or when force is used in a sexual encounter against the other person's will. Of all the men who admit to committing sexual assault, 55% report being under the influence of alcohol at the time, with 26% of the men being drunk (Stanford University, 1999). Of all the women who report being sexually assaulted, 53% of them report being under the influence of alcohol, with 21% of these women being drunk (Stanford University, 1999). These facts suggest that alcohol is a major factor in sexual assaults. Crimes such as these could be greatly reduced if

A questionnaire is research which involves a number of different questions to gather information from the people who are filling it in. Questionnaires are designed as a way to find out what people are thinking. An advantage of questionnaires is that it is very practical because it is quick to collect information from the people filling out the questionnaire. Another advantage of questionnaires is that the same questions is asked to everyone filling the questionnaire out so easy to sum up. The final advantage to questionnaires is that large information can be collected. There are also some disadvantages to questionnaires which is that there is no way of telling how much though someone who is filling the questionnaire out has put it. Another disadvantage is that the person filling it out may forget what has happened to fill it out so it won’t be reliable. The final disadvantage to questionnaires is that there is no way to tell how truthful a respondent is being.

One of the main issues that comes with sexual assault is the what constitutes as consent, because so many people view what qualifies as consent differently. Consent is when the word yes comes out of your partner’s mouth. (whether it be a hook-up or your partner). A study was done and it showed that 47% of those who took the poll believe that if someone takes off their clothes they are consenting to have sex (Weiss). That is not consent. Consent is receiving a verbal yes, not a moan, or a head nod, wearing certain clothes, or even drunk flirting. Thankfully colleges and universities have started having classes and presentations that go over consent among other things related to sexual assault at either orientation or they are courses the

The passage of SB-967 articulates the lack of a meaningful discourse about the sexual culture on college campuses and the effects on students. The law is a significant course of action to address an important issue that has been long overlooked across college campuses in the United States. However, many have criticized certain aspects of the bill. The California legislation includes no clear definition of affirmative consent. The students are left to figure out for themselves what exactly constitutes as affirmative consent and how to obtain or give consent during a sexual encounter. While administrators are largely responsible for enacting this change in policy, it is the students that are affected by the shift. It is the responsibility of

Is intoxicated sex not consensual sex? It is clear that most people would quickly respond with various signs of affirmation which all center around the statement: “of course, intoxicated sex is not consensual sex.” This is the reigning viewpoint among many ethicists, who take up a huge percentage of our society, who argue that alcohol use impairs a person’s judgment. Because of this, the decisions one makes while intoxicated are decisions that have not been adequately contemplated. Consequently when a person agrees to engage in sexual intercourse while under the influence of alcohol, one is unable to give full consent to such a big decision. These same ethicists argue that full consent is necessary in order for sexual intercourse to not be

This research is to determine students understanding of what sexual consent is and the possible effects of affirmative consent being implemented schools. The theory is that individuals do not have a common understanding of what sexual consent is. The hypothesis is that in college campuses, students have an unclear understanding of sexual consent, affirmative consent would decrease misunderstandings of consent and ultimately decrease sexual abuse. Requiring affirmative consent may decrease the vagueness of nonverbal consent and encourage parties to make it explicitly clear that they are interested in sexual activity. This study will compare the results of a survey between universities and colleges in Utah for a comprehensive view on attitudes towards affirmative consent. More than half of sexual abuse and rape victimizations are the result of behavior other than force, such as coercion, which puts additional emphasis on the possible relationship between affirmative consent and victimization. Data gathering will be done through electronic surveys distributed at colleges and universities in Utah and contain quantitative, closed ended questions only.

This The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism did a study on why alcohol use leads to more sexual assault cases. "General alcohol consumption could be related to sexual assault through multiple path-ways. First, men who often drink heavily are also likely do so in social situations that frequently lead to sexual assault (e.g., on a casual or spontaneous date at a party or bar). Second, heavy drinkers may routinely use intoxication as an excuse for engaging in socially unacceptable behavior, including sexual assault (Abbey et al. 1996b). Third, certain personality characteristics (e.g., impulsivity and antisocial behavior) may increase men’s propensity both to drink heavily and to commit sexual assault (Seto and Barbaree 1997)." Based on the findings we can conclude that not every man who drinks alcohol will commit sexual assault; however mixing certain personality characteristics with alcohol can lead to behavior the perpetrator may not act on if he was of sound mind.

In the study reported by Paula England and Jonathan Bearak in the article, “The Sexual double Standard and Gender Differences in attitudes Toward Casual Sex among U.S. University Students”, they describe this double standard

Drinking can lead to sexual assault. We are all human and we do drink but you should not take part of intercourse or any sexual actions with another if that person is not able to give consent. One way we can prevent rape from happening is being with friends. You should arrive, stay, and leave together. Another problem with rape is not understanding no. Once you hear no, you should stop. Even if the person wanted to take part in sex five minutes ago, no means no. We as humans change our minds and it will become a crime if you continue to force someone into sex. People try so hard to have sex and when told no, they try to change the person’s mind or sometimes even force it up

Alcohol often results in teens having risky sexual behavior. Rapings, unplanned pregnancies, HIV infections, and sexually transmitted diseases are possible consequences of being intoxicated (Walitzer). “In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nearly 50 percent of the 19 million new STD infections that occur every year involve young people between the ages of 15 and 24” (Sydner 58). Most teens do not plan on having sex, however, drinking alcohol impairs their judgement and sometimes it even leads to rape. It has been reported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that drinking played a role in more than 97,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape on college campuses each year (Sydner 62).

The concept of consent is really easy to understand. If someone agrees to engage in sexual intercourse/ intimacy then they are giving you their consent to do so. However, if someone does not agree or does not give a clear YES, then that individual does not 100% commit to the act. An individual should also never be persuaded, forced, or taken advantage of when they are under the influence. Consent is important because it is our right to protect our bodies, and not complying with an individual who does not give consent could lead to criminal charges and a lifetime of criminal reputation. Therefore, it is always important to remember YES means YES and NO means NO.

Looking at this argument, McGregor argues that it is inconsistent to claim that inebriated or intoxicated consent to sexual intercourse is legitimate, when in fact we do not consider other forms of inebriated consent, such as consenting to a risky surgery or activity while inebriated, legitimate. She first starts her argument by discussing the moral importance of consent. She claims that it is able to transform relationships because when consent is given, restrictions no longer exist, or at least not as many, within the relationship. Leading with this, she continues her argument with the fact that consent is also vital for the protection and value of autonomy. McGregor portrays this point by using an analogy

2000). Alcohol use, even intoxication is a dominant contributor to the recent hook-up culture (Flack et al. 2007) and definitely a motivator to engage in intercourse during a hook-up. Women report consuming a median of four drinks prior to hooking up, while men report a median of six drinks (England et al. 2008). Being under the influence in a social setting acts as a lubricant and helps people overcome their inhibitions and anxieties on a social and sexual level. The simple act of approaching or conversing with a person you are attracted to can be extremely nerve-wracking, but with the attack of alcohol on the nervous system it is easier for people to talk and eventually express their sexual desires because they stop worrying about rejection and judgements. Once individuals surpass these fears it easy to pursue what they want and desire, so if man sees a girl in a bar he is interested, is a few drinks deep he more often than not will have no problem approaching in her hopes that he can take her hope and engage in sexual activity. Sadly this effects our ability to form genuine connections with people as most of these hook ups will not normally result in a romantic relationship later down the road, but rather just more casual sex contributing and building to the hook up culture that we know

Whereas a structured interview follows a standardised format, in an unstructured interview the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the interview. Supporters argue that this brings a number of important advantages. Such as, rapport and sensitivity, the interviewee's views are clearer, the ability to check understanding, flexibility and the ability for the interviewer to explore unfamiliar topics. However, there are multiple disadvantages to using unstructured interviews in sociological research. Such as, practical problems, which include, time and sample size, training, and interpersonal skills, there are also issues with representativeness, reliability, quantification and validity.

In the study by Abbey it states that within laboratory studies they have demonstrated that minor cognitive impairment occurs when your BAC is as low as .04 while moderate impairment can range anywhere from .06 to .10. As compared to sober people, the men with a BAC level with approximately .10 are drastically more aggressive toward their opponent, especially if the person feels provoked. Furthermore, beliefs about alcohol’s effects intertwine with alcohol’s pharmacological effects, like things such as that intoxicated individuals see unclear behavior as fitting to their own behaviors. So in other words, an intoxicated man who may be in search for a sexual partner for the night is likely to believe that anyone willing to dance is also willing to go as far as have sex with them. In a study by Leanne R. Brecklin and Sarah E. Ullman (2001) it states that alcohol and/or drugs were used by 60.9% of offenders according to all their victim’s reports, of which 75.9% were said to have only used alcohol. The rape crimes that happened with the perpetrators under the influence resulted with riskier rape situations and that it may be in correlations with more severe injury outcomes indirectly through its relationships with these situational