April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Christy Beck, from Beck Psychotherapy in State College, discusses what qualifies and doesn’t qualify as consent, and what you can do to help a victim of sexual assault.
Consent:
- Clearly communicated voluntary agreement to sexual activity.
- The absence of “no” is not consent.
- Consent cannot be gained through threats, coercion, intimidation or force.
- Someone who is intoxicated or unconscious cannot give consent.
- Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
- Consent must be obtained on each occasion.
How to help:
- Be supportive and non-judgmental
- Do not blame the victim
- Have them seek medical attention as soon as possible
- Respect their decision regarding reporting
- Encourage them to seek counseling
- Bystander Intervention
Consent information taken from Penn State University.
Beck Psychotherapy is located at 103 East Beaver Ave. Suite #2 in State College, and you can call them at (814) 409-7744. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
