Focusing on consent ignores better ways of preventing sexual violence

By Nicole K. Jeffrey, University of Windsor

In early May, a New York jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing the writer E. Jean Carroll in 1996. The jury did not find him liable for allegedly raping her.

In the wake of this high-profile case, and the many others of the #MeToo movement, what should we be doing to prevent sexual violence and promote equitable sex? So far, consent is getting too much of the spotlight. Schools, universities and popular media are focusing heavily on consent in their efforts to curb high rates of sexual violence.

Many advocates and educators have recently shifted their messaging from “no means no” to “yes means yes” and “consent is sexy.” This messaging promotes voluntary and affirmative agreement. That is, the idea that silence does not mean consent.

Regardless, consent is much too low a standard for promoting ethical sex — even if it may be the best available legal standard. And focusing on consent limits our ability to create better approaches to dealing with sexual violence.

It’s time to stop focusing on consent

Sexual violence is the use of verbal pressure or physical violence to engage in any sexual activity with someone who is unwilling or hasn’t consented. It is most often committed by men against women and other marginalized groups and is supported by societal stereotypes about gender and sexuality.

As part of my research over the past decade, I have interviewed women who were victimized and men who perpetrated sexual violence. I have also conducted focus groups with men about heterosexual sex and dating. My critique of consent is based on this and other research.

Here are five reasons we should stop focusing on consent and start thinking about more ethical values and norms.

1) Consensual sex is not always wanted, pleasurable or free from coercion.

People can consent to sex they don’t want or enjoy. Women often agree to sex they don’t want to avoid hurting a partner’s feelings, to maintain a relationship or to be seen as a good partner.

Read Full Story https://theconversation.com/focusing-on-consent-ignores-better-ways-of-preventing-sexual-violence-205631