Consent/Age of Consent

Consent: The informed, voluntary, and mutual agreement between people to engage in an activity. Consent cannot be given when an individual does not have the capacity or legal ability to consent.

An example of sexual consent is an agreement that occurs between sexual partners about the behaviours they both permit to engage in during a sexual encounter. Consent can be given by words or actions as long as those words or actions create explicit permission regarding willingness to engage in sexual behaviour.

“Boundaries and outside sex are an essential thing. And to be discussed. Boundaries in sex are everything from the one that makes you uncomfortable to the one that makes you uncomfortable. That’s where the boundary comes in. The “no” has to be heard. And not just as a word. “No” is an action. And it requires a partner at that moment to have the awareness to understand that the other person at that moment doesn’t want to and isn’t having a good time.  Sex is not just about having children! When we have sex, I think we are at our most vulnerable moments. We are giving and trusting our bodies to a person. That’s a big one. You need to know that the other person won’t hurt you and will respect the boundaries you have set together in different phases, even in that moment. Our wants change. And we must, MUST have our partner respect them. Also, the boundaries for each couple change, such as how you have fun and what you want and don’t want. Those things change. It’s not the same for everyone. This takes conversation and understanding. And not operating for yourself.” 

Age of Consent: The age at which a person is legally able to consent to sexual behaviours. Most EU Members set this age at 14 and 16 years old. 

“A child at 15 is still trying to build any critical thinking on beliefs that are now being formed. This is the age where he begins to understand how the rest of the world works. Let’s say, at this point, we are talking about early high school. A character, sexual and personal, begins to form. An identity. It’s a critical age. We’re talking about a kid exploring everything with a different mindset. And because of puberty, he is away from his parents. There’s a tendency to hide things, etc. It makes it even more dangerous to give consent through a legal framework at the age of 15. It’s a child. You throw them into a big sea and tell them, “I give you the freedom to do whatever you want,” while at the same time, they don’t know anything. And that’s very contradictory. He makes mistakes most of the time about what he wants, what sex is in his mind, and who he wants to do it with. And falls into the trap for social reasons of going ahead because there is competition at that age and it’s considered “cool” to have sex at a young age.” 

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