Canadians confused about definition of sexual consent, suggests survey

One in five Canadians believe if a woman sexts an explicit photo, she is giving sexual consent

While 96 per cent of Canadians surveyed believe consent is important, that number slips depending on the length of a relationship.

Just over 10 per cent believe consent isn’t needed in a marriage, while a similar number say the same thing is true in a long-term relationship.

“Most sexual assaults in Canada are committed by someone the victim knows and trusts,” says Anuradha Dugal, director of violence prevention with the Canadian Women’s Foundation, which commissioned the survey.

“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, sexual consent is always required.”

A rather surprising stat from the survey is two thirds of Canadians say they don’t really know what saying yes means.

Canadian law says consent should be both positive and ongoing.

“Over the past year, sexual assault has been pushed into the spotlight, causing greater awareness about the importance of consent” says Dugal.

“The fact that most Canadians agree sexual activity should be consensual is a positive sign that people understand the critical importance of consent. However, it’s alarming that so many people don’t understand what consent actually looks like. This gap can increase the risk of unwanted sexual activity and assault, and is a clear sign that Canadians desperately need more education on the meaning of consent.”

One in five Canadians between 18 and 34 believe that if a woman emails or texts a man an explicit picture, it serves as an invitation to take sexual behaviour from the cyber world to the real one.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation says it’s a sign that Canadians desperately need more education on the meaning of consent.

Agencies/Canadajournal