Culture of Consent

[Guest User]

Happiness.com and its owners would like to voice that we follow and respect the Culture of Consent, we ask that you read the below and join us in making this World a bit happier and safe for everyone. 
We would love to have you in our forum and group discussions about Consent!

What is Consent? 
Consent is without a doubt, absolutely, 100% important and a key to maintaining a happy and safe environment for everyone! Consent is a clear-headed, explicit, non-coerced, informed and enthusiastic YES!!! Consent is given by the opposing person(s), BEFORE any actions. This means in person, but also, while chatting online, video chat, private messages and in forums. 

Is consent just for face to face meetings?
Nope! Remember consent is important in every aspect of our lives, it includes a wide range of situations and it isn’t just for group or one on one meetings, it can also be; any kind of touching (including hugging and even spraying people with mist), sharing food, drinks, or any kind of substance, photography, and even online. Sometimes we may have an idea or belief that we really want others to also feel or believe and while speaking with someone, we may notice that they aren’t fully convinced and indecisive. Sometimes the words we use may greatly influence the other person, and it could impact their response. They may end up saying “yes” when they really want to say “no”. It isn’t always easy to say “no”, especially if it’s someone you just met, maybe you or they don’t want to upset you, neither of you wants to lose the new/old friendship, or maybe it’s just a struggle with setting boundaries. This could then become an issue, without even realizing it. 
Always remember to stop and think about how your actions may impact the other person/or people! Always remember to get consent! 

Why does consent matter?
Discussing why consent matters is extremely important! Share your experiences; negative and positive. Encourage one another to share their feelings, whether you have felt like you were being taken advantage of, or maybe the one that was in the wrong. Voicing your boundaries and speaking about your feelings and thoughts is a great idea and can really help others establish boundaries. We all like to feel safe, and that’s why we want to make sure everyone is aware of one another and their boundaries, but still have a good time. There’s nothing wrong with letting others know where they stand! 

Various situations may arise from one day to the next. Let’s say you meet someone face-to-face or even just online and you shared a connection. It was a really nice one and perhaps one you hadn’t felt in a while. A few days down the line and you chat again, you’re excited but suddenly one of you doesn’t feel the same as the other day. What happen? Maybe nothing happened, just today one of you isn’t feeling the same. That’s ok, too! Following the Culture of Consent, please remember, that just because there was a connection before and what either of you was comfortable with previously, may not be the case the next time. A previous yes, may now be a no. Don’t take it to heart, things change. This is another situation we need to discuss to keep the lines of communication open. Come join our chat and forums to discuss this one further!  
 

 

[Guest User]

As a professional dancer- of all types of music, I often have issues with consent. A lot of times people, both men and women, think that because we are dancing together or in close proximity, that it's alright to just touch me whenever...and it's not. 

It can be really frustrating and often times I need to just hold in my feelings so I can continue dancing- there are many times I want to explode, as I feel quite violated, but also just figured it came with the territory.

Thanks for starting this topic.

[Guest User]

Hi MissMisses! 

 

Thanks for sharing! I can definitely say it must not be that easy at all. I think maybe it might be a really good idea to voice your opinion. Or maybe even at the beginning of the class, you could speak with everyone, just letting them know the importance of consent, and making sure that everyone understands that dancing alongside or with someone else, doesn't necessarily mean it's ok to touch them in a certain way, or afterwards, etc. 

[Guest User]

I would have believed Consent to be a natural, and normal thing. It's a bit sad these days that people must explain to others how important Consent is. 

[Guest User]

As a nurse, it can be really difficult with consent. There are plenty of times we see things that are really hard to deal with, or a patient that you think you could help, but isn't fully conscious, or sane, and you want to help...but you can't. Consent is a really important topic, and also an interesting one, especially in the medical field.