What does consent actually mean?
Consent is a freely chosen, informed, specific, reversible agreement. It is not created by pressure, silence, freezing, age difference, a prior yes, a relationship, or a body response.
Freely given
No threats, guilt, repeated pressure, authority, manipulation, or fear of consequences.
Informed
People understand what they are agreeing to and are not deceived about important facts.
Specific
Agreeing to one thing does not mean agreeing to another thing.
Reversible
A person can change their mind before or during an activity.
A person may freeze, shut down, feel unsafe, or be unable to speak.
Dating, marriage, flirting, or earlier sexual activity does not remove the need for agreement now.
Physical arousal can be involuntary.
Children cannot be made responsible for adult sexual behavior, and laws set age and authority boundaries.