Get informed : Violence

Personal consent. You are the best judge of whether you actually want to have sex with someone. Listen to what that little voice in your head is saying. It will often give you good advice.

Legal consent. The law establishes minimum ages and conditions — quite independent of your personal consent — governing a person’s consent to sexual acts. Legal consent depends on several things, and the criteria depend on how old you are.

Remember that in every situation, you have the right:

• To accept or refuse sexual activity
• To choose each behaviour in your sexual relationship (kissing or touching is not a free pass for other intimate or sexual contacts)
• To change your idea in the middle of things

There’s no doubt that your consent was not possible if:

• You were paralyzed with fear
• You were afraid to react
• You didn’t have any choice but to do what you were told
• You were forced, physically or psychologically (this includes manipulation, blackmail, intimidation, and threats)
• You were under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• You were sleeping