Scientific Articles

Cañaveras, P., De Botton, L., Carbonell, S., Elboj, C., Aubert, A., & Lopez de Aguileta, G. (2024). Youth Voices Participating in the Improvement of Sexual Consent Awareness Campaigns. Sexes, 5(4), 579-595. https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes5040038

Duque, E., Salceda, M., Campdepadrós-Cullell, R., Merodio, G., & Puigvert-Mallart, L. (2023). Consent? At the Start, You Do Not Even Think About It. Coercive Discourse in the Awakening of Affective–Sexual Relationships in Young Women. YOUNG, 32(1), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/11033088231198600

Pulido, C., Cañaveras, P., Redondo-Sama, G., Villarejo-Carballido, B. (2023) Do People Comment on Social Networks About Sexual Consent in TV Series? Rethinking Consent (or not) in Real Situations: Contributions from Debates in Social Media. Sexuality & Culture 1-23 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10115-w

Explanation of the Post

Consent is only real when it’s given freely. That means a person must be old enough to legally give consent and must not be under pressure, threat, or fear. If someone is forced, intimidated, or too young, they cannot truly choose; and therefore, there is no consent.

People in positions of power—like a university professor, a manager in a company, or a senior doctor in a hospital—can misuse that power to pressure others into sexual relationships. For example, if a professor pressures a student into sex by threatening their grades or academic future, or if a manager implies that someone’s job or promotion depends on sexual favours, that’s not a free choice. It’s coercion.

Research shows that many young people are still unclear about what consent really means. One study found that using clear, direct language in education and awareness campaigns helps people better understand what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour. Another important concept is coercive discourse, a way of speaking or acting that pressures someone into doing something they might not want to do. This kind of pressure can come from peers, not just authority figures, and it can affect how young people, especially young women, experience relationships. It can make it harder for them to say no or even recognize that they have a choice.

Consent isn’t just about saying “yes” or “no.” It involves communication, both verbal and non-verbal. That includes tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, and the context of the situation. For example, someone might say “yes” because they feel scared or trapped, not because they really want to. In that case, it’s not true consent.

When someone uses their authority—like deciding grades, supervising a thesis, offering career opportunities, or controlling job security—to get sex from someone under their responsibility, that’s coercion. The person being pressured cannot freely choose, so there is no consent. However, not every relationship with a power difference is abusive. That’s why it is important to distinguish between power asymmetry and abuse of power. For example, couples who work in the same university, hospital, or private company may have a power imbalance, one might be in a more senior role. But that doesn’t automatically mean there’s coercion or abuse. What matters is whether both people can truly choose freely, without pressure or fear.

Finally, some studies have looked at how young people talk about consent in social media. By analysing tweets about popular films and shows, researchers found that media can influence how people understand consent. These findings show the importance of talking about consent in many different settings, not just in terms of power but also in how people communicate and interact.

Other sources

Anyadike-Danes, N. (2023). Perceptions of consent in UK higher education: Implications for policy and training. In C. J. Humphreys & G. J. Towl (Eds.), Stopping gender-based violence in higher education (1st ed., pp. 88–108). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003252474-7

Puigvert, L. (Coord.). (2023–2025). CONSENTnet: Actos comunicativos que promueven el consentimiento [Red temática de investigación]. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Ref. RED2022-134866-T.

Puigvert, L. (PI). (2020–2023). CONSENT: From speech acts to communicative acts. How, when, where, with whom. Factors which enable freedom without coercion in young people [Proyecto I+D]. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Ref. PID2019-110466RB-I00.

Soler-Gallart M. (2017). Achieving social impact. Sociology in the public sphere. Springer.