Undergraduate Students’ Understanding of Sexual Consent

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Abstract

Sexual consent is crucial to sexual encounters; however, many individuals struggle to define or understand how to communicate consent (Beres, 2007; Humphreys, 2007; Humphreys & Brousseau, 2010). The Ontario education system plays a significant role in educating youth about sexual consent via the revised Ontario Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum in 2015. Comprehensive sexual education plays an important role in mitigating sexual violence by fostering awareness of societal norms and attitudes that may perpetuate violence, for instance, misogynistic beliefs or LGBTQ+ discrimination (Chin et al., 2012). This study investigates young adults' comprehension of sexual consent, exploring what they understand about consent, where they learn about it, and the impact of Ontario's curriculum on their understanding (Forrest et al., 2019). By evaluating these aspects, the research aims to inform improvements in Ontario's sex education curriculum and gain insights into youth's understanding of consent. The study also examines the alignment of educational institutions with legal standards regarding consent, grounded in the Canadian legal definition (Criminal Code of Canada, R.S.C., 1985, C.-46). This research contributes to ongoing discussions on sexual education's role in addressing sexual violence and improving consent comprehension among young adults.

Author

• Jessica Bieniak, Ontario Tech University