Consent Training Is A Waste Of Time

Let’s unpack how consent actually works in the real world.

Photo by Dương Nhân from Pexels

In an effort to prevent sexual assault on college campuses, students at various universities across the country have been required to complete some form of “consent training.”

When I took consent training, it was a series of hypothetical scenarios that were (mostly) tone-deaf to the way that actual human interactions go. For example:

Bob and Ashley are on a date and both really like each other. Bob is having a great time and wants to kiss Ashley. What should he do?

A. If the mood is right, he should go for it!

B. Ask Ashley for consent before doing anything.

Of course, the correct answer was B — ALWAYS ask for consent — followed by the phrase, “consent is sexy!”

Um, what?

Consent is sexy?

First of all, this cutesy little phrase severely minimizes the issue.

Lingerie can be sexy.

Foreplay can be sexy.