The Current
3.29.16 | Chantel Grant
As a child, one of the first things you learn is the difference between “yes” and “no.”
When you were younger, you hardly misunderstood “no.” It was a simple two-letter word used to negate anything that you weren’t interested in.
Fast-forward to being a young adult with hormones who engages in sexual activities, and the word “no” is filled with renewed significance.
Glenn Scheyd, associate professor in the College of Psychology and chair of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, shed light on what the word “no” really means with regard to sex and how people interpret it.
“Yes” means “yes”
According to Scheyd, the basic idea of consent stems from the concept that “no” means “no.”
Scheyd said that even though saying “no” is the most overt way to communicate that you are not interested in sex, the absence of “no” does not mean that you have consented.
“If someone is incapacitated, they probably won’t be able to say ‘No,’ but that does not mean that you have the right to engage in a sexual act with [him or her],” he said.
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