by Emma Atkinson

Welcome to Consent Corner.  Consent:  You’ve heard about it, you know something about it, and you’re probably wondering if there’s more to know.  I’m with you!  That’s why we’re hanging out here in Consent Corner.  We’re going to learn more so we can have more fun.  You’re with me, right?

Consent is an agreement about what will happen in an interaction:  before, during and after.  Agreements are negotiated.  So, how can we make the best possible negotiations so we can make the best possible agreements?  We know that great agreements lead to great interactions, right?  And, who doesn’t want great interactions?

Consent expert Rachel Drake has agreed to talk about it with us in each CSPC newsletter.  She’s been a coach, writer and educator in the field for over a decade, and I’m excited to bring her passion, wisdom and insight to CSPC members.

Rachel’s consent model is firmly grounded in the notion of upholding your own autonomy as well as that of the other participant(s) in an interaction.  She acknowledges how complex it is to give or get good consent – there’s a lot to know!

What does it mean to uphold your autonomy?  It’s taking responsibility for what you do, for your part in an interaction.  The more you know about consent, the better you’re able to act in ways that strengthen your integrity and create meaningful bonds with others.

Fair warning:  Hanging out in Consent Corner means that you’re going to learn a lot about good consent.   You’ll ask yourself meaningful questions.  You’ll probably change how you see consent.  And, I think you’ll also have a lot more fun in the process.  

Homework assignment:  For next time, think about what autonomy means to you.  Think about interactions you’ve had where autonomy was relevant, in a good way or maybe in not such a good way.  Look up the definition of autonomy and see if there’s some aspect of its meaning that you hadn’t thought about before.  No, there won’t be a quiz.

Join me as we visit Consent Corner in each CSPC newsletter.  Questions or comments?  Email info@thecspc.org.