Students Wary of New Sexual Assault Law in Face of Increased Reports

Article here. Excerpt:

'New York is one of the three states — along with California and Michigan — that have passed these new consent laws. The law requires a clear, affirmative agreement between partners. By stating the consent, it creates a victim’s bill of rights and boosts training for law enforcement, faculty and students.

However, students expressed concern that the new policy is ambiguous and makes it more difficult for those accused of sexual assault to defend themselves. While the legislation may have caused confusion among college campuses, experts say the increase in sexual assault reports reflect an increase in reporting incidents rather than a vague policy.

In many situations, sexual misconduct incidents occur when students do not give or obtain affirmative consent when engaging in sexual interaction. The affirmative consent is defined as a knowing, voluntary and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity. Affirmative consent can be given by words or actions, as long as those words or actions create clear permission regarding willingness to engage in the sexual activity.'