If you meet someone new and your relationship is progressing into a physical one, perhaps after going home from the bar or heading home from a social gathering with friends, it is very important to ask for consent. You need to know that the other person also wants to have an intimate relationship with you and that you haven’t misinterpreted anything.
You want to do this even if you are sure that they’re also interested. Don’t just take the nonverbal cues as a sign that you can do as you please. Be upfront with them and talk about it. It may feel slightly awkward in the moment, but it is much better to ask for consent and cover your bases than to wish you had in the future.
It could get tricky if alcohol is involved
Many situations in which consent is not given arise when the couple was drinking alcohol beforehand. This can cloud judgment and make it harder for people to take these logical steps.
In a lot of cases, people will also remember things differently. You may find that you are being accused of a crime when you definitely thought that you had consent and didn’t see any problem with it. The other person may say that you never had consent, but that they felt pressured or threatened and they couldn’t get you to stop. You honestly don’t believe this was the case, but now you’re facing a very complicated situation, all because you didn’t expressly get consent to begin with.
If something like this happens to you, it’s natural to be worried about what it means for your future. Just take the time to carefully consider your legal defense options.