No Means No

No+Means+No

Jessica Duch, Staff Writer

Most students if asked can easily identify the difference between yes and no, but do they really understand the idea of consent? The definition of consent is permission for something to happen or an agreement to do something.

Consent should be a clear decision between two parties. Most students who have gone through the Snohomish School District have been taught about abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, and birth control. We are leaving out an important topic in our health education.  We need to incorporate the topic in our health classes.

According to the New York Times report from October 14, California became the first state to require high school students to be educated on affirmative consent, emphasizing the importance that someone who is intoxicated or asleep cannot grant consent.

University students in the United Kingdom have also been introduced to voluntary classes on the topic, specifically George Lawlor who attends the University of Warwick. A photo he had posted has been going viral on social media. He was invited to a class about consent and was “utterly offended” and posted up a picture of him holding up a sign that read, “This is not what a rapist looks like.”

Lawlor received many different responses to his picture, many agreeing, and many disagreeing. This picture raised the debate on whether the classes are important to offer students, like those of Glacier Peak High School. I wanted to see how students here responded to the picture Lawlor posted on social media and whether they felt the topic was relevant here.

“Just looking at the picture, I don’t think that statement is fair considering no one knows what a rapist looks like, I would love for him to give me a description. When it comes to sexual consent classes, I think it would be very helpful and informational just like any health class should be,” Kara Just said.

When I asked a second student, she felt differently.

“I know a little about the story and see where the guy is coming from but that still does not justify his argument. I don’t think sexual consent classes should be a topic to revolve around but bringing it up couldn’t do any harm,” Emma Hauge said.

Health teacher Mr. Utt was on board with the issue.

“We actually don’t cover it at all and we are in fact scheduled to have a meeting on revamping what health classes cover, and that is going to be a major topic. I think it is an important thing to introduce to students, kids at this age are usually not mature enough to know the true significance of it. Now I’ve got to really think about this but yes I think it is crucial”.

Lawlor’s argument that “he doesn’t need to be taught not to be a rapist,” is selfish. We are living in a culture where quick judgements about seductive clothing is interpreted as an invitation. There is an indication that consent classes could potentially help students from misinterpreting communication in a sexual situation.  Discussing the topic with teens in an effort to educate as a form of prevention can only bring about positive results.