“Verbally, no, but physically yes” Students’ Meanings of Sexual Consent

• In Event: 1466 - Section on the Sociology of Sexualities Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 4. Practicing Sex

Abstract

While definitions of sexual assault focus on nonconsensual sexual acts, less attention has been paid to the influence of college students’ implicit meanings of consent. How do college students indicate they want to have sex with someone? Through 83 interviews, we examine college students’ willingness to assign meanings of consent to an ambiguous vignette. We find significant gender differences in how students interpret characters’ actions and that while students know the explicit meanings of consent, they continue to ‘expect’ and employ implicit meanings. To students acts such as leaving a party indicate a man’s sexual interest and a woman’s willingness.

Authors

• Anne Groggel, North Central College

• Christopher O'Neal Turner, Indiana University