What is consent?

Understanding consent is about being respectful and creating a safe environment in your relationships.

What is consent?

Consent means agreeing to do something. When it comes to sex, giving consent means agreeing to have sex or take part in sexual activity.

By law, everyone involved must have full freedom and capacity to give consent.

Having full freedom means: no one should feel pressured or forced to take part in any sexual activity. Everyone should feel safe to change their mind at any point, even if they said yes at first.

Having full capacity means: someone is physically and mentally able to make a choice and understand what they are agreeing to.

Did you know? Being in a relationship doesn't mean consent is automatically given.

Remember: You always need consent from everyone involved before every sexual encounter, every time.

It's so important to understand consent, it’s all about being respectful, creating a safe environment in your relationships and abiding by the law.

Coercion is not consent

If any kind of physical or emotional pressure is used to coerce someone to have sex or take part in sexual activity, then consent can’t be truly given. In this case, someone might say 'yes' out of fear of what could happen if they say no.

Consent and the law

In the UK, consent can't be given under circumstances such as:

• The person is too intoxicated to understand what they're agreeing to
• The person is asleep or unconscious
• The person is under the legal age

Helping you remember consent

Communication is key. Ensuring that everyone is on the same page requires ongoing communication.

Simple questions like, "Are you okay with this?" or "Do you want to carry on?" can help with open communication.

Planned Parenthood created the acronym FRIES to help remember consent:

• Freely given: Consent given without force or coercion.
• Reversible: You can change your mind at any time.
• Informed: Full awareness of what you're agreeing to.
• Enthusiastic: Genuine desire to participate.
• Specific: Clearly stated boundaries and limitations.

Your rights and responsibilities

You have the right to say 'no' or to change your mind at any point. It’s also your responsibility to understand and respect others' boundaries.

Non-consent isn't always a verbal 'no'.

It's so important to look out for signs of non-consent, be mindful of body language and hesitations including "I'm not sure". If someone seems uncomfortable in any way this is your sign to stop.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported where they are.

If you or someone you know has been in a situation where full consent wasn't given, the University is here to support you. The University can offer emotional and practical support and connect you with external services if you need further help.

Where to get support

If you feel like there is an immediate danger or threat to life, please call the emergency services on 999.

Report + Support

If you would like to report something to City, you can use our online reporting platform, Report + Support.

Report + Support makes it easier to confidentially report a wide range of issues so that we can best support you.

Use this tool to report a concern, an incident that occurred, or to make a disclosure about your own or someone else's safety and well-being.

University support

• A wide range of support services are also available to students at City.

External support

• Victim Support - a 24/7 independent charity service dedicated to offering specialist and free support to victims of crime in England. Even if you haven’t reported the crime, you can still get support.
• The Havens - If you have been the victim of rape or sexual assault within the last 12 months, The Havens can help. They offer urgent medical examinations and can be contacted 24/7.  They provide support at three London locations depending on your preference. You don’t have to be referred or speak to the police to use this service.
• NHS - You can find your nearest, alternative rape and sexual assault referral centre here. These services provide support to victims/survivors of rape or sexual assault regardless of whether you choose to report the offence to the police.  They provide a provide space for interviews and medical examinations. Some may also offer counselling services. For non urgent health advice, you can call 111.
• Rape Crisis - 24/7 national Freephone helpline service.
• Galop - an anti-violence charity offering emotional and practical support for LGBT+ victims of sexual violence, hate crime or domestic abuse.

Please see our Additional Student Support services page for a complete list.

Reporting to local authorities

You can report a crime to the Police by calling 101 (non-emergency number) or on the Metropolitan Police website. You can also reach out to Crimestoppers, a 24/7 independent charity service that allows you to report crimes anonymously.