• More than 500 young people were polled about sexual consent
• They generally showed that they had progressive attitudes towards the topic
• However, they were less sure when it came to situations involving underage sex or a reluctant partner
• Men more likely than women to identify some scenarios as consensual
• Around one in three sexually active youth reported feeling awkward about asking for consent

SINGAPORE — When it comes to sexual intercourse, young people in Singapore can generally tell whether consent is given or not, including when consent was withdrawn halfway through a sexual act, or when consent was given under a state of intoxication or under threat.

However, they were less sure when presented with certain situations, such as in cases involving underage sex and a partner being forced or urged to have sex.

These were the findings from a recent survey by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

A total of 539 young people aged between 17 and 25 took part in the poll, and 57 per cent of those surveyed were 17-year-olds while 65 per cent were female.

Respondents had to answer whether sexual consent had been given in a range of scenarios presented.

When asked if there is consent when two individuals engage in sex after one person had voiced second thoughts after first agreeing to it, 17 per cent of those polled said yes, 61 per cent said no, and 22 per cent could not decide. 

The male respondents were likelier than the female ones to state that there was consent in this scenario, similar to when respondents were asked if there is consent when one person changes her mind halfway through a sexual act.

And when asked if there was consent when a 15-year-old student has sex with his or her 24-year-old teacher, 44 per cent said yes, 35 per cent said no, and 21 per cent were on the fence.

The results of the survey were first published on Aware’s website on July 28, before they were highlighted on its social media platforms on Wednesday (Aug 5). 

Referring to its July 25 online event to discuss the survey findings, the gender equality advocacy group said that a question emerged as to why there is a disconnect between what the youth know about consent in theory and how they practise consent in their own experiences.

An answer is that many tend to “second-guess themselves” when it comes to their own experiences and they would wonder, “Is this consent? Have I obtained consent?”, because there are personal stakes in real-life situations, it added. 

“Many may feel hesitant to turn down a partner’s advances because they don’t want to hurt their partner or ruin the relationship,” it said. 

Panellists at that event also agreed that there is a need for sustained engagement on multiple levels to construct a strong consent culture, Aware said.

From the poll, 16 per cent of the respondents indicated that they have engaged in some form of sexual activity before.

Of these, slightly more than half stated that they had discussed sexual consent with their most recent partner.

And around one in three of the sexually active respondents reported feeling awkward about asking for consent.

Aware said that males were likelier than females to agree with “problematic” statements about consent and rape. One example of such a statement was: “Victims of sexual assault must take some responsibility for what happened to them.”

More than one in 10 youth (13 per cent) believed that the victims had to take some responsibility for what had happened.

Generally though, the poll showed that young people held progressive attitudes towards sexual consent. Statements that received the most progressive responses were:

• “Women who are raped often asked for it.” (92 per cent disagreed)

• “Once intimate photos are exchanged, both partners can do what they wish with them, including posting them online.” (94 per cent disagreed)

• “Only women can be raped or sexually assaulted.” (97 per cent disagreed)

Less than half of respondents said that they were taught about consent in schools, and almost all of them indicated that they would like for it to be taught.