Consent is the act of giving permission for something to happen to us. It's how we demonstrate ownership and protection of ourselves. Giving and asking for consent allows each person to decide what they want or don’t want and it should be a regular practice in our daily lives.
In high-control groups, consent is rarely valued or acknowledged.
Members are expected to participate, serve, or even lead group activities regardless of their personal preferences or level of comfort. In a healthy environment, however, all parties are given the opportunity to opt out of any activity that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
Think of consent as the language of autonomy. The more explicit consent is, the more autonomy everyone has. Even if you're not ready to speak up for yourself, you can still start practicing this skill. As you get more intentional about asking other people for their consent, you'll slowly start feeling more confident in your own right to give or withdraw consent.
This inventory offers practical examples of things that someone with a high sense of personal autonomy might say and do. Each of these statements reflects a belief that we deserve respect and expect others to treat us accordingly.
Instructions: Check the statements below that sound true of you.
