In light of the recent media storm following George Lawlor’s controversial Tab article entitled ‘Why I don’t need consent lessons’, the subject of sexual consent classes has triggered much angry debate. While, thankfully, many people have already taken to the internet to kindly point out the stupidity and pig ignorance that fuels Lawlor’s opinions in this particular article, there have been others that have come out in support of the Warwick student’s argument. Carefully scrolling through the furious ongoing debate in the comments section, however, I found that many supporters were, like Lawlor himself, suffering under several misconceptions surrounding the concept of sexual consent classes. Far from being a ‘massive, painful, bitchy slap in the face’ as Lawlor so eloquently put it, once understood properly, sexual consent classes can be helpful to all. So, here are several myths that desperately need to be dispersed.
1. It’s all part of the ‘feminazi’ masterplan…
It seems incredible that in this day and age, where equality is supposed to reign triumphant, women (and men) that publically express the opinion that sexual consent classes are becoming a necessity, have the potential to attract huge amounts of public hate. Sexual consent classes, if you believe the internet trolls, are the work of that ‘dangerous’ brand of feminism that advocates bra burning, no shaving and the eradication of all men from the face of the planet. Right. After all, how dare we look for a solution to a problem in our society that leads to approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men being raped in England and Wales alone every year? Bloody ‘feminazis’ kicking up a fuss again, right? The fact of the matter is, you don’t even need to identify as a feminist to accept the statistics that show rape is a problem that is just not going away. And if you think that the idea of sexual consent classes is a useless concept, instead of being one of those people who seem to be far too ready to accept rape as just another ugly inevitability in our world, why not join the conversation and help find a better solution?
2. We think that ‘All men are rapists’
One of the main misconceptions surrounding the subject is that sexual consent classes target men only. Cries and accusations of being ‘demonised’ by the feminist community have come from many men that believe the male gender is being tarred with the same rapist brush, and some even appear to feel personally slighted by the movement, as if they, Lawlor being a prime example, are personally being accused of rape. But the point that they are missing is this: IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU. Consent classes aren’t for men. They are for EVERYONE. Although the majority of rape victims are female, the male victims cannot be ignored, and by putting on the ‘woe is me’ act, this is exactly what is happening, as is the disregard for sexual consent between people of the same sex and those that are transgender. Victims, or potentially vulnerable people, may also find these lessons a great comfort and support. When it comes to the blurred lines of consent such as alcohol consumption, more education surely cannot be a bad thing, for men and for women.
3. We don’t need them because…
The reasons are many. The common sense is sparse. But in the end it boils down to one thing. People don’t believe they need consent lessons and feel that the whole idea is a massive waste of time. Because, after all, people argue, ‘What are sexual consent classes going to do?’ Rapists gonna rape and consent classes aren’t going to stop them. And, to a certain extent, you can see their point. This line of argument, however, assumes that all rapists are the monsters in the dark alley waiting to jump on their victims. And while this stereotype is also a horrific truth, the actual reality of the situation is much more appalling. While Lawlor holds up his sign saying ‘This is not what a rapist looks like’, the part of his article that arguably caused the most offence, the irony is that rapists are nearly always ordinary people. Around 90 percent of rape victims are said to know their attackers, proving that they are not obvious monsters, but everyday people. Which is obviously a terrifying notion.
With so many victims having knowledge of the perpetrators prior to their attack, and the statistics from a study by The Telegraph which show that a whopping third of female students in Britain have endured sexual assault or unwanted advances at university, it is clear that there is a dangerous lack of knowledge concerning consent. So, where better to start the lessons than at the sexual minefield that is university? Embrace the ‘I heart consent’ posters, rejoice in the simple ‘cup of tea’ analogies. It may not be the final solution, but the conversation on how to tackle the problem has at least begun.
Edited by Georgina Varley
Image Sources:
http://www.hollywood.com/movies/signs-you-are-still-obsessed-with-high-school-musical-60263812/
http://www.headoverfeels.com/2014/03/13/a-very-loyal-monster-scandal-gif-cap/
Sources:
http://thetab.com/uk/warwick/2015/10/14/dont-need-consent-lessons-9925