By Sucheta Singh

Let’s define consent:

con·sent – permission for something to happen or agreement to do something

Did you know only 1 in 3 Canadians knows what sexual consent means? So, for those that don’t know and those that need a refresher, Douglas College is launching Let’s DO Consent.

The campaign encourages you understand what consent is to start building a culture of consent on campus.

Douglas College adopted a new Sexual Violence and Misconduct Prevention and Response Policy in May 2017. The policy highlights the College’s commitment to educate everyone on campus and prevent sexual violence through various events and campaigns.

Let’s break it down:

In Canada, there are 460, 000 sexual assaults every year. Of that, only five per cent of survivors report the assault to police.

One in three women will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime while one in six men will experience the same.

The victim and offender know each other in 82 per cent of cases.

Consent is:

• Clear – it cannot be assumed or implied
• Willing – it cannot be obtained through threats, intimidation or coercion
• Coherent – cannot be given by an individual who is incapacitated or unconscious, it is not silence or the absence of “no”
• Continual – it must be obtained at every step and can be revoked at any time
• All inclusive – consent should be asked for in every situation

Here’s a quick video about tea, and consent: