Consent & boundaries
What consent is, how boundaries work, and the names for the ways they are crossed. If something here describes your situation, support services are listed on each entry.
46 entries
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- Affirmative consentAffirmative consent is the principle that agreement to intimacy must be shown through an active, clear yes, in words or unmistakable actions, rather than assumed from silence or a lack of resistance.
- Age of consentThe age of consent is the minimum age at which the law considers a person able to agree to sexual activity. It differs between countries, and sometimes between states or provinces.
- Bodily autonomyBodily autonomy is the right of each person to make decisions about their own body, including who touches it, what health care they receive and whether to have children.
- BoundariesBoundaries are the limits a person sets around what they are comfortable with, physically, emotionally, sexually or digitally, and how they want to be treated.
- Bystander interventionBystander intervention is safely stepping in, directly or indirectly, when you witness harassment, a potential assault or someone at risk.
- Capacity to consentCapacity to consent is a person's ability to understand what they are agreeing to, weigh it up and communicate a decision freely at the time.
- CatfishingCatfishing is creating a false online identity, often using someone else's photos, to deceive people into a relationship, friendship or financial exchange.
- Check-inA check-in is a brief question or pause to confirm that a partner is still comfortable and wants to continue.
- CoercionCoercion is using pressure, threats, guilt, manipulation or persistent pleading to make someone agree to something they would not otherwise choose.
- Coercive controlCoercive control is a pattern of controlling behaviour, such as isolation, monitoring, threats and humiliation, used to dominate a partner and restrict their freedom.
- ConsentConsent is a free, informed and clear agreement to take part in a specific activity, given by someone who has the capacity to agree and who can change their mind at any time.
- CyberflashingCyberflashing is sending someone an unsolicited sexual image, usually of genitals, through a phone, dating app, social media or file-sharing feature.
- Dating violenceDating violence is physical, sexual, emotional or digital abuse within a dating relationship, including between teenagers and young adults.
- Deepfake image abuseCreating or sharing fake sexual images or videos of a real person, made with AI or editing tools, without their consent.
- Digital consentDigital consent applies the principles of consent to online life: asking before sending explicit content, sharing photos, tagging someone, tracking location or accessing their devices.
- Drink spikingDrink spiking is adding alcohol or drugs to someone's drink without their knowledge, sometimes to facilitate robbery or sexual assault.
- Enthusiastic consentEnthusiastic consent is an approach that looks for genuine, positive wanting from everyone involved, rather than reluctant or pressured agreement.
- Financial abuseFinancial abuse is controlling a partner's access to money, work or resources in order to limit their independence.
- Freeze responseThe freeze response is an automatic stress reaction in which a person becomes unable to move, speak or resist when they feel threatened.
- FRIES consent modelFRIES is a memory aid for the qualities of meaningful consent: Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic and Specific.
- GroomingGrooming is the process by which someone builds trust and emotional connection with a child, young person or vulnerable adult in order to manipulate, exploit or abuse them.
- Image-based abuseImage-based abuse is creating, sharing or threatening to share intimate images or videos of someone without their consent.
- IncapacitationIncapacitation is a state in which a person cannot make or communicate an informed choice, for example because of alcohol, drugs, sleep or unconsciousness. An incapacitated person cannot consent.
- Informed consentInformed consent is agreement given after a person has received and understood the relevant information, including risks, benefits and alternatives.
- Intimate partner violenceIntimate partner violence is physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm, or threats of harm, by a current or former partner.
- Non-verbal cuesNon-verbal cues are signals given through body language, facial expression, tone or silence that can show how comfortable a person is.
- Ongoing consentOngoing consent is the understanding that consent is not a one-time permission but something that continues, or stops, throughout an interaction.
- Power imbalanceA power imbalance exists when one person has significantly more influence, authority or resources than another, which can make it harder for the less powerful person to say no freely.
- RapeRape is a serious form of sexual assault involving sexual penetration without consent. Its exact legal definition varies between countries and states.
- Rape crisis centreA rape crisis centre is a specialist service offering free, confidential support to people affected by sexual violence, whenever it happened.
- Rape cultureRape culture is a term for social attitudes and norms that normalise, excuse or trivialise sexual violence.
- Reproductive coercionReproductive coercion is behaviour that interferes with someone's decisions about contraception or pregnancy, such as hiding pills, damaging condoms or pressuring them to continue or end a pregnancy.
- Romance scamA romance scam is fraud in which a criminal builds a fake romantic relationship online to win trust and then obtain money or personal information.
- Safety planningSafety planning is working out practical steps to reduce risk for someone experiencing abuse, stalking or threats, whether they plan to stay, leave or have already left.
- SextingSexting is exchanging sexually suggestive messages, photos or videos, typically by phone or app.
- SextortionSextortion is blackmail that threatens to share intimate images or information unless the victim sends money, more images or does something else they do not want to do.
- Sexual assaultSexual assault is any sexual act or contact carried out without a person's consent. Legal definitions and categories differ between countries.
- Sexual harassmentSexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that violates a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating environment.
- Sexual rightsSexual rights are human rights as they apply to sexuality, such as the right to bodily integrity, to choose a partner, to decide whether to have children and to access sexual health information and care.
- StalkingStalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention or contact that causes fear, alarm or distress, such as following, monitoring, messaging or turning up uninvited.
- StealthingStealthing is removing or deliberately damaging a condom during sex without the partner's knowledge or agreement.
- SurvivorSurvivor is a term many people use for someone who has experienced sexual or domestic violence, emphasising resilience and agency.
- Trauma-informedTrauma-informed describes an approach in health care, education or support that recognises the widespread impact of trauma and aims to avoid re-traumatising people.
- UpskirtingSecretly taking photos or videos up someone's clothing, such as under a skirt, without their consent.
- Victim blamingVictim blaming is holding the person who was harmed responsible for what happened to them, instead of the person who caused the harm.
- Withdrawing consentWithdrawing consent means stopping or changing your agreement to an activity at any point, including after it has started. Once consent is withdrawn, the activity should stop.