The proliferation of consent-focused rape prevention social marketing materials

Abstract

The use of sexual consent in sexual violence prevention materials is rapidly growing. This chapter explores these materials and places them in conversation with insights from feminist research on sexual violence. Beres argues that consent-focused sexual violence prevention materials are inconsistent with current feminist understandings of the role of consent in sexual-violence prevention. Three concerns are raised: (1) The materials can create confusion through simultaneously presenting definitions of consent as “fact” and go beyond legal definitions of consent; (2) they are inconsistent with feminist research and presume an ignorant subject unfamiliar with consent negotiation; and (3) the creation of gender-neutral subjects within prevention materials fails to acknowledge the gendered aspect of sexual violence curtailing the ability for this type of sexual violence prevention to foster change. Through this analysis, Beres orients the reader toward the possibilities of building on feminist theorising to strengthen consent-focused education materials.