Student Voices

Consent Culture: What Consent Means and How to Set Personal Boundaries

What is consent? Consent is a key component of all healthy relationships. What you are or are not comfortable with in a sexual experience can change over time. Thus, it’s important to communicate your needs to your partner while also checking to see what their needs are. 

Consent culture, where people in a community feel empowered to freely make decisions regarding their own comfort as it pertains to their sexual experiences, is created through open dialogue about sex.

As part of a continuous effort to bring that conversation to the BU community, Student Health Services hosted an event for incoming students at Orientation called Cones for Consent. The event was originally established by SHS’ Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP). Students completed a quick survey and got free ice cream in exchange! As a Student Health Ambassador, talking with students about such an important topic at a fun event like this was nice. Being able to chat with such a large portion of the student body over a popsicle was a great way to close out the summer. Our discussions and the array of anonymous survey responses helped us better understand how BU students think about consent. 

Here’s What Students Responded With:

“Consent culture means having respect for others’ boundaries.”

Defining boundaries is an important part of establishing a healthy relationship, and respecting them ensures that everyone feels safe and comfortable. 

“It means that you openly communicate with your partner.” 

Open communication empowers partners to discuss what they like, dislike, and everything in between. 

“Creating consent culture lets us feel safe and empowered on campus.”

Consent culture makes the campus community a better place for us all! 

“Consent is always an enthusiastic yes that can be taken back at any time.”

Consent should always be freely given. If a person feels uncomfortable or can’t give consent, stop what you’re doing. 

Through the survey, students showed that consent culture is important to them as members of the BU community – so how can you encourage the development of consent culture in your own relationships?

Here are a few tips to help you get started!

Have a conversation with yourself:

• It isn’t always easy to know what you want. That’s why it’s important to take time and reflect on what you’re comfortable with. 
• Consider what ideas you may have surrounding sex in general. These are often shaped by past experiences, but you’re the only one who can know what’s best for you!

Understand what boundaries are:

• Boundaries are guidelines/limits that help you feel comfortable and safe. These boundaries should be respected. 
• Over time, boundaries can change. This is completely normal! It’s important to revisit them as time passes, just to check in and see if anything has changed. 
• Boundaries can be set regarding a large number of things. Examples include: 
  • Using condoms when having sex
  • Getting screened for STIs before having sex
  • Types of sexual activities that you are comfortable (or not comfortable) with

How to have the conversation:

• Clearly communicating your needs and wants will help everyone be on the same page. 
• Here are some fill-in-the-blank guides for communicating boundaries: 
  • Before we have sex, I think it’s important for us to both get screened for STIs. It’s important to me, and will make me feel safe. 
  • Just FYI, since we’re going out tonight, I don’t want to have sex if we’ve been drinking. It makes me feel ________. 
  • I don’t feel comfortable with ______. If you’re not okay with that, we shouldn’t have sex.

Addressing Consent and boundaries in the moment:

• You might think you’re okay with something, and then once you’re in the moment, it may not feel right. That’s okay, and you deserve to have your boundaries respected. Don’t be afraid to verbalize that. 
• “No” is a full sentence – you don’t need to give a reason or justification. 
• If you hear “no” during sex, stop what you’re doing and check in with your partner. Boundaries are not a one-and-done conversation. It can take time to fully discuss everyone’s boundaries, and that’s okay! 

If you have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, or other trauma or violence, you can contact SARP for support. No problem is too small to get help. Talk to a crisis counselor (available 24/7) by calling 617-353-SARP (7277) or use Patient Connect to book a non-urgent appointment.

Thank you to Student Health Services’ partners in the Orientation Office and BU Committee on Sexual Assault & Harassment Prevention (CSAHP), who supported the Cones for Consent events.