‘No’ means ‘no’ - Sexual boundaries

It represents some sort of social and moral failure that some American and English students beginning their third-level education have to take a course to have boundaries around sexual consent explained to them. 

It is therefore foolish to imagine that all Irish students behave in an appropriate and civilised way on this benchmark issue.

The tolerance of an aggressive, misogynist “lad” culture and the bizarre belief among 41% of Irish people that a woman is at least partially responsible if she is raped should also sound alarm bells. That alcohol misuse is often used as an excuse in these life-defining events just adds another layer of denial to a barbaric practice.

It would not be surprising if this position was dismissed as one generation not understanding another’s very different world view but that is dangerous, indulgent bunkum.

To paraphrase a woman who would have cowed the most aggressive rapist: “Rape is rape is rape” - and all our young people should know this.