RELATIONSHIPS
Why Is Consent Necessary for Healthy Relationships?
When it comes to asking for permission, I’m curious about where individuals stand. Do all people understand how important it is?
Well, as for me, my stand is this: consent is basic ethics. It has to be freely given, it should be specific, it should not be assumed, and you can’t manipulate your way through it.
Consent is something that should be considered when dealing with people. From professional settings and, most especially, to relationships, understanding and respecting boundaries is crucial for creating safe and respectful environments.
Valuing consent is a must in every relationship. There are steps you can take to make sure it’s given the importance that it deserves:
First, you have to learn how to ask for consent properly and clearly.
Second, you have to be observant. Your partner’s responses may be different from what you expect and they could express it verbally or nonverbally.
Third, you have to respect whatever their decisions are or simply ask again to make sure.
If you want to have genuine experiences with your partner, then all the more reason for you to value consent.
It equates to respect.
You and your partner must arrive at an agreement on things that you both want to do. Respect each other’s decisions, even if they are different from your own.
You should be able to listen to each other’s needs and desires and understand that consent is not a one-time event, but something that should be discussed and renegotiated as needed.
It means having healthy boundaries.
We all have boundaries. They come with being individuals with our own sense of self. Discussing and understanding each other’s boundaries will help reduce conflict in your relationship.
Being able to consent to upholding or making reasonable compromises on boundaries is essential. I mean, would you want to stay with someone who constantly ignores your boundaries? That just shows how little they care about you as a person.
It means healthy communication.
Having an open dialogue about consent and respecting each other’s decisions allows both of you to be accountable for your actions toward your partner.
It also means that you can trust your partner to hold you accountable for the way you treat them and how responsibly you hold up your end of the relationship.
It helps to prevent abuse.
Consent helps ensure that all parties involved are comfortable and safe with what’s being said and done within the relationship. Couples should be mindful of each other’s body language and verbal cues, especially when engaging in physical or emotional intimacy.
It means being heard.
“I hear and understand you. Your feelings and boundaries are valid and considered here.”
That is what it feels like to have consent and for your consent to be valued.
It means trust.
“I trust that I can be vulnerable with you.” When consent is seen as the necessity that it is, it’s much easier to be vulnerable, open, and intimate with each other.
That’s how valuing consent promotes trust.
It improves relationships.
You should always be mindful of your partner’s level of comfort when doing things that require consent. Your respect for each other is the core foundation of your relationship.
Better relationships are created when there is mutual understanding.
Consent is a vital part of any relationship.
Being able to connect on a deep and meaningful level with your partner is easier when you value consent. Consent is a sensible need. It shouldn’t be ignored. To be able to draw your lines and trust each other not to cross them is freeing.
A relationship that values consent is a relationship that values respect, trust, and healthy communication. Consent keeps everything balanced.
And I know that you must be thinking about how relationships require a lot of work, but that’s how you keep it healthy. Simply put, it will be worthwhile in the end.
