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Understanding Sexual Consent: Examining Affirmative Sexual Consent And Affirmative Sexual Consent Policies In The College Context, Rachael Redjou

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This paper examines the definition of “Affirmative Sexual Consent” and its current use in preventing instances of sexual assault on college campuses. I conclude that Affirmative Sexual Consent does not work to prevent sexual assaults and may, in fact, be largely unnecessary. This paper demonstrates that students are successful readers of non-verbal consent cues and that the tenets of consent as put forth in Affirmative Sexual Consent policies are often in direct conflict with students’ normative behavior. I end with an examination of the social, cultural, and institutional changes that must be made if we are to actually reduce rates …