How can we change attitudes towards rape?
4th September 2012
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Recent media attention surrounding sexual consent and rape has highlighted the growing concern that young people do not understand what consent is or about what constitutes rape. But we can we do to change this?
As we previously reported, a survey by Havens, a sexual assault referal clinic, 23% of men between the ages 18-25 don’t believe having sex with a woman who says no is rape.
This shocking statistic highlights just how uninformed young people are about consent - and even more worryingly, it could mean that some of these men are actually pressuring women into sex when they have said no.
This view about what constitutes rape is not one that is just held by young men.
Last week Bradford MP George Galloway said that having sex with a woman who is asleep with whom they have previously had consensual sex with is not rape, but just ‘bad sexual etiquette’. So it shows that it is not just young men who need educated on the law on rape, but everyone.
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His comments are not only worrying, but completely wrong. Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that:
(1) A person (A) commits an offence if he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis, person B does not consent to the penetration, and person A does not reasonably believe that B consents.
(2) Whether a belief is reasonable is to be determined having regard to all the circumstances, including any steps A has taken to ascertain whether B consents.
Therefore if the person does not give their consent or cannot possibly give their consent (for example when they are asleep) the act is classed as rape according to the law.
Other than throwing George Galloway in a room with women who have had to endure ‘bad sexual etiquette’ it is clear that something needs to be done to educate people on this issue.- Article continues below...
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