Varying Definitions of Consensual Sex and Their Effects on College Students Kyla McGirr Eastern Kentucky University Abstract One of the greatest issues, by far, with our society today is the struggle with consensual sex, and what the boundaries for sexual relations between a male and a female are. What exactly is sexual consent and should it be given before not only sex involving penetration, but so many other kinds of sensual scenarios, too. In the Journal of Sex Research, the authors experiment with the parameters of sexual assault and give it a rather straightforward definition. Sexual assault is the nonconsensual sexual activity obtained through …show more content…
While it may seem obvious that consent applies to far more than, “Hey, Can I ... With You?” too many of us have been with significant others who don’t understand that getting a clear sign of consent is key to engaging in any sexual relation, including sex. According to Jozkowski and Peterson (2014), there are several educational initiatives that focus on the promotion of consent, and how to prevent unwanted consent, or how to reduce the likelihood that a sexual assault could occur. A riveting 15 to 40% of women report having experienced a sexual assault during their lifetimes (Jozkowski & Peterson, 2014). Many colleagues of Jozkowski have assessed the consent of sexual activity and how males and females communicate and interpret those verbal and nonverbal cues, however it was Humphrey’s and his colleagues that provided an “empirical examination” of how college students perceive consent by developing a scale called the Sexual Consent Scale. The measure was developed to assess college students’ viewpoints on sexual consent and what embodies the overall consent. The researchers focused on the importance of explicitly establishing a consent prior to sexual activity, how commitment reduces the need to ask for consent, whether consent is negotiated as a one-time event or process, and general awareness and discussions of consent among peers and partners (Jozkowski & Peterson, 2014). The Consent to Scale theory helped
In her essay,” ‘Hooking Up’: What Educators Need to Know”, Kathleen A. Bogle illustrates that college students are having more casual sex aka ”Hooking Up” (248). Also Educators need be able to tell the different of casual sex and sexual assault. Bogle illustrates hooking up is a more common practice because the shift of social and dating. She explains that hooking up is the new dating system for college students to find “sexual and romantic partners” (249). According to Bogle hooking up is the thing to do for today’s generation even if it has been a part of social culture since the 1960s. Because so many students are doing it in today’s generation Bogle believes hook up culture has changed the way we react to subjects such as sexual assault. “Sexual assault on the college campus stems from the ambiguity of the ’unable to consent’ provision of state laws” (Bogle 250). “Hooking Up” usually occurs at parties towards the in the night when students are under the influence of alcohol. In Bogle’s view the shift of dating practices to hooking up have created more problems in the prevention of rape. She goes to explain that because of the rise in drunken hookups sexual assault is no longer limited to date rape situations. Bogle states that students also have a hard time of distinguishing a sexual encounter and rape due to victim-blaming. Bogle stresses that though college administrators can’t stop the fact that students are going to hook up they should educate students more on the
This essay will examine the social and cultural conditions, within the macro-diachronic and micro-synchronic theoretical models , that intensify or perpetuate sexual assault. I have chosen only one concept from each model because these are the only concepts that I feel that I can use to most accurately and comprehensively depict causes and reasons for why sexual assault is deeply entrenched in our social structure. I will thus explore, from these ideological viewpoints, some of the motivations and circumstances which lead offenders to sexual assault. I will also fuse some of the historical attitudes from which today's concepts have evolved to our contemporary understanding of this social
For our research proposal, we have chosen to analyze a topic that hits fairly close to home for the three of us. This paper will look at the social condition of sexual assault concerning college aged females on public Texas University property. The paper will mimic the style of a grant, as if we were an organization looking to get funds to implement a program that would help decrease this problem in our community. The problem of sexual assault is a very broad topic; under it falls everything from forced sexual intercourse, to child molestation, to fondling. In order to make our research more accurate, we have chosen to reduce the definition of sexual assault down to just forced intercourse, or in other terms, rape. We have found a
Sexual assault is sexual activity of any kind that does not involve the other person’s consent. Sexual assault includes rape, forced sodomy, forced oral sex, and any form of unwanted sexual touching. Most common types of sexual assault are mostly affiliated with the drugs of roofies or GHB being slipped into a drink. This often appears to happen at college parties. According to research, “the typical scenario of sexual assault on college campus includes the woman’s drinking at a party and playing drinking games, a situation where she has been given a drink in which the alcohol has been disguised as punch” (Bohmer, Parrot 20). Popular culture depicts college as a place for free booze and sexual conquests, as sensationalized by popular movies like “Project X” and “22nd Jump Street.” Consequently, the public medium portray partying and binge-drinking as the typical college and teenage social norm. Oftentimes, college is the first opportunity for young individuals to live away from home. For many, college is a time of sexual freedom, exploration, and experimentation. According to Julie E. Samuels from
Freshmen and sophomores have a greater risk for on campus rape and sexual assault during the first semester of college (Wyatt, T., Oswald S. 2014). One way to make incoming students aware of their risks they have while attending a university is by providing sex education in higher education setting. This curriculum should include consent education, which discusses having permission to perform sexual acts, as well as recognizing how and when to report a crime. It may be argued that this is something that should have been covered in high school, but a refresher course on sexual education could be beneficial. College students are adults, and adults should be given information to keep themselves and others safe while attending the university. This information could be given at incoming freshmen orientation, first year
“[The] group had 1.74 times the odds of reporting that they were sexually assaulted during their first year of college” (Rothman & Silverman, 2007, p. 286). The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community is especially susceptible to sexual assaults, but “gay, lesbian, and bisexual students exposed to the program were 50% less likely to report being sexually assaulted during their first year of college” (Rothman & Silverman, 2007, p. 286). Educating students on consent and risk factors will not end college sexual assault, but allow the college to have control over the situation and decrease the number of sexual assaults within their
Sexual assault is defined as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” (“Sexual Assault”, 2nd heading). An average of 237,868
The hopes of the curriculum is to implement the idea of consent throughout the entire sex-ed program. This is an incredibly important topic to talk about, especially at a young age. The Ontario sexual education
Sexual Assault described in technical terms is defined as any sort of sexual activity between two or more people in which one of the people involved is involved against his or her will. (3) The description of "against his or her will" extends to varying degrees of aggression, ranging from indirect pressure to a direct physical attack. While sexual assaults are associated with the crime of rape, it may cover assaults which would not be considered rape. What constitutes a sexual assault is determined by the laws of the jurisdiction where the assault takes place, which vary considerably, and are influenced by local social and cultural attitudes. Every year, an estimated 300,000 women are raped and 3.7 million are confronted with unwanted
Sexual assault is defined as any vaginal, oral, or anal penetration that is forced upon another, regardless of sex and sexual orientation, using any object or body part. The issue of sexual assault in America is primarily encouraged by rape culture. Women Against Violence Against Women is an organization that defines rape culture as a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. The acceptance of rape culture, rape myths, and the disregard for sexual consent also allow for the perpetuation of sexual assault against women on college campuses. Recent examples of sexual assault on college campuses show how prominent this issue has become and how hostile campuses have become for female students. Some examples include the University of Southern California’s “Gullet Report,” Miami University of Ohio’s “Top Ten Ways to Get Away with Rape,” and a sexual assault on the campus of Kansas University. Sexual assault is perpetuated by the acceptance of rape myths and rape culture, lack of effective sexual education, and the disregard for consent. The solution to this issue lies with defeating rape culture, increasing awareness and funding for campus sexual assault crisis centers, and enacting more prevention programs on campus.
Sexual assault has been a huge issue for many years on college campuses and universities nation wide. As society has evolved, thoughts on sexual assault have also evolved, becoming more focused on the details of victim treatment than ever before. The topic of sexual assault is debatable and sparks many opinions on weather sexual assault on college campuses is becoming more frequent, or if there is just heightened awareness. Sexual assault can happen to anybody no matter the gender, race, religion, or age. Recently there have been many studies conducted on sexual violence on college campuses and universities producing ample amounts of statistics. One may argue that sexual assault rates are the same, but there are simply more studies and attention on sexual assault in the past 20 years. Gender roles have played a huge part in sexual assault on college campuses. Women and men have different expectations when it comes to roles in the relationship, men are often expected to make the first move. One may ask what causes a perpetrator to sexually harass somebody and think it is acceptable. There are various reasons as to why perpetrators do what they do, and may vary from person to person. Although sexual violence is a large problem for many colleges and universities, there is a surprising shortage of federal laws/rules and regulations regarding sexual assault. Colleges are able to develop their own personal policies and procedures for how they will prevent and deal with sexual
Sexual assault is a term that is used interchangeably with the word rape. The decision on whether or not to use the term rape or sexual assault is made by a state’s jurisdiction. Sexual assault is more readily used in an attempt to be more gender neutral (National Victim Center). Sexual assault can be most easily described as forced or unconsentual sexual intercourse. The individual that is performing these acts on the victim may either be a stranger or an acquaintance. In 1994, 64.2 percent of all rapes were committed by someone the offender had previously known (Ringel, 1997). Regardless, this type of crime can have extreme effects on the victim.
Sexual assault is a dangerous behavior that is widely spread in our societies all around the world. Some studies show that this kind of problem is due to several accidents that have occurred in a person’s childhood or adulthood. It has negative effects on a victim’s life. The paper offers insights about this topic with several references and quotes from many experts. However, the term sexual harassment is defined and explained thoroughly. The causes of this serious problem are presented and then the several harmful effects are mentioned and explained. A few approaches can be followed in order to prevent this offense from happening again, hoping to save the lives of many people.
Sexual assault and rape has always been a social and public issue in the United States. A majority of the time, women become the victims, while men become the perpetrators. National surveys in the United States show that one in six women has experienced an attempted or completed rape. Consent appears to be a critical factor in determining whether assault or rape has taken place. Women have a higher chance of being raped by who they are acquainted with rather than strangers.
Sexual assault and rape are on-going issues plaguing college campuses all across the nation. In part, I believe this is due to a lack of education on what sexual assault actually is. All too often, victims are leaving these situations feeling confused about something that they will forever deem "a weird night". It often isn't until much later that they realize what happened to them was a violation of their body and of their rights.