Beyond ‘yes’ and ‘no’: Reimagining consent education through boys’ reflections on power, emotion and relational uncertainty

The eleventh issue of ‘Evidence Bits’ is based on the publication “Beyond ‘yes’ and ‘no’: Reimagining consent education through boys’ reflections on power, emotion and relational uncertainty” by Dr Emily Setty, Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Surrey and a member of IDVRM’s Team of Experts.

The study explored teenage boys’ perspectives on sexual consent through qualitative research conducted in three English schools and a follow-up workshop. Participants described consent as emotionally complex and shaped by peer cultures, reputational anxieties and conflicting gender norms. While some echoed widely circulated narratives, such as fears of false accusations, these were often expressed with ambivalence and used to navigate uncertainty and vulnerability.

The study highlights limitations of risk-based, procedural consent education, which boys can experience as accusatory or reductive.

Rigid pedagogical binaries foreclose the emotional labour and relational uncertainty that boys described.

Pedagogies that support both emotional literacy and ethical accountability are required.