Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Shannon Hunnicutt <>]

*snip*
Shannon Hunnicutt wrote: "Clearly, I am trying to make the case against
a verbal consent policy."

Daniel Carter wrote: "How do you believe consent should be defined?"
*snip*

Ah, if only I knew the perfect definition of consent for campus sexual
assault policies. What I do know is that verbal consent policies allow
for consensual sexual activity to be a violation of the sexual assault
policy if no verbal consent was obtained. For example, if a student
engages in any consensual sexual activity prior to a sexual assault, but
failed to get verbal consent, she can (and is) found responsible for
sexual misconduct through a counter-charge. Needless to say, this is
clearly not the intent of sexual assault policy and this is a problem.

Verbal consent policies also perpetuate the myth that sexual assault is
merely about sexual miscommunication, based on the assumption that if
students merely communicated then sexual assault wouldn't occur. Those
of us who have worked in this field understand that this is not what
happens in cases of sexual assault, and that no amount of communication
will stop sexual assault from occurring.

I am inclined to believe that in order for sexual assault policy to
reflect the reality of sexual assault, utilizing parameters of consent
is the most logical way to define consent in a policy, but I welcome
feedback and experiences from others.

Thank you,
Shannon


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