Ongoing consent - meaning and definition
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Definition
Ongoing consent is the understanding that consent is not a one-time permission but something that continues, or stops, throughout an interaction.
At a glance
- Consent continues, or stops, throughout an interaction.
- Agreeing to start is not agreeing to everything that follows.
- New activities need their own agreement.
- Past consent, even in a long relationship or marriage, never replaces present consent.
In detail
Agreeing to start something is not agreeing to everything that follows, and it is not agreeing to continue no matter what happens. People can change their minds partway through, and new activities need their own agreement.
In practice, ongoing consent looks like paying attention: noticing changes in body language, asking short questions such as "Is this still good?", and treating hesitation as a reason to pause. It also means past consent, including within a long relationship or marriage, never replaces present consent.
In a sentence
- Ongoing consent just means checking in now and then, not asking once and assuming.
- They talked about ongoing consent and agreed that either of them could call a pause at any time.
Common questions
Do I need to ask every few minutes?
Not necessarily. Ongoing consent is mostly about paying attention and checking in when something changes, such as a new activity, a change in body language or a partner going quiet.
If we have done something before, do I still need to ask?
Yes. Having agreed in the past does not mean someone agrees now. Each time is a fresh decision.