Consent means fully understanding and freely agreeing to something without feeling pressured or intimidated.
Consent is an ongoing mutual agreement between partners about what they want to experience. It isn’t simply saying yes or no; your feelings can evolve over time.
Consent must be:
- Freely given: consent is invalid if someone is pressured, coerced, or manipulated into agreeing. It should be a genuine and voluntary decision.
- Enthusiastic: consent should be explicit and enthusiastic. It’s not enough for someone to simply not object; they should actively express their willingness to participate.
- Ongoing: consent is not a one-time thing. It applies throughout an interaction or activity and can be withdrawn anytime. If someone changes their mind or feels uncomfortable, they can say no.
- Specific: consent is specific to each activity or interaction. Saying yes to one thing doesn’t automatically mean permission extends to everything else.
- Sober: consent is not valid if someone is under the influence of substances that impair their judgment or ability to make decisions freely.
- Equal: consent should be given by equals. It’s not valid if there’s an imbalance of power or authority, such as between a teenager and an adult or a peer with significant influence.
It’s illegal to have sex or do sexual things without the full consent of everyone involved. If someone is unable to consent because they’re drunk or they’ve taken drugs, it’s a crime to engage in sexual activity with them. The age of consent in Northern Ireland is 16. This means that it’s illegal to have sex with anyone who’s under 16 years old. This is the same no matter what your sexuality or gender is. Even if you’re both under 16 and you’ve consented to doing things, it’s still against the law.
If someone over 16 is having sex with someone under 16, they’re also breaking the law. They may be arrested even if everyone has consented.
