Most Canadians don't understand what consent means

    Friday, 3 November 2023 12:00

    By Tonya Organ

    Executive Director of the Corner Brook Status of Women Council, Paula Sheppard says recent studies have shown there are 22 sexual assaults per one thousand Canadians, and the highest age group are those between 15 and 24. 

    About two-thirds of Canadians don’t fully understand what consent means. On this week’s edition of the Plain Truth, the Executive Director of the Corner Brook Status of Women Council, Paula Sheppard speaks with Valetta Colborne, project coordinator with the Corner Brook Status of Women Council.  

    Sheppard says sexual assault can include unwanted touching or kissing. She says recent studies have shown there are 22 sexual assaults per one thousand Canadians, and the highest age group are those between 15 and 24. 

    “As for NL, there were 531 police reported sexual assaults in 2021, a 29 percent increase over the previous year,” she says. “Only 5-10 percent of sex assaults are actually reported to police.”

    Colborne says education is critical. “A couple of years ago some students recognized they hadn’t had sex education, and they weren’t aware of all the rules of consent,” she says. “They actually asked the school and we were asked to come in so it came at a perfect time.” 

    Tune into Bayfm each Wednesday evening at 5:30 for the Plain Truth.

     

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