What is Consent?

Consent is an active, on-going, and enthusiastic agreement to any sexual activity. It is always clear, knowing, and freely given. Consent can be best understood as a combination of all five of the following principles:

  • Clear Communication: Comprehensible, unambiguous, positive and active communication of consent for each sexual act. Silence in no way indicates consent.
  • Free and Willing: Without any coercion, including emotional, psychological or relational pressure or influence.
    Unimpaired Decision Making: Effective consent must be established without impairment by either person.
  • Step-by-Step: You must establish effective consent for every sex activity. Consenting to one sex act does not mean consenting to any other sex act.
  • Subject to Change: At any point during a sexual encounter both partners should be free to change their mind. If one partner changes his or her mind, then the other partner must respect the decision to limit or end sexual contact.

For information on requirements and potential violations under the Sexual Harassment Policy, please refer to the Elon University Sexual Harassment Policy.

If you want to discuss issues around consent or if you feel you have has a non-consensual encounter, contact Safeline at (336) 278-3333 (24/7) or contact the confidential advocate at akrauss3@elon.edu.