What are some ways to say “No”.

Setting boundaries is such an important skill. Let’s go through some ways of saying no:

You may feel like you are being rude by saying no. It is actually awesome you are setting boundaries. If your partner feels you are being rude you can always talk about it later but personal saftey and boundaries have to come first.

We have a recent post about the three P’s (pee, poo and puke). Please refer to that to get out of a situation in a pinch.

Is it consent when you’re in a relationship and they do something without asking?

No. Being in a relationship does not mean there is implied consent.

Consent must be given before and during any sexual activity (kissing, sex, oral, fondling, etc)

If this has happened to you, it is important to talk with a trusted adult about what has happened. You can also have a conversation with your partner to make sure they understand the laws of consent and that this is not okay.

When in a long term relationship consent can sometimes be non-verbal. Regardless, consent is still necessary so it is important to continuously check in with your partner.

What percent of people have been sexually assaulted?

It important to know out “of every 100 incidents of sexual assault, only 6 are reported to the police”.

So keep in mind the numbers we know are a lot less than what is actually happening. Statistics vary depending on socioeconomical status, race, and developmental disability.

1 in 3 women report experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime.

15% of sexual assault victims are boys under 16. Sexual assault against men is generally underreported.

60% of reported sexual abuse/assaults are from people under the age of 17

Indigenous women and girls are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than non-indigenous women.

These figures are from Stats Canada.

Is it alright to bully a 19 year old for dating a 14 year old?

It is never okay to bully anyone.

However, it is understandable to be concerned. We want to be understanding to the situational factors at play.

We encourage asking questions and raising your concerns in a respectful and kind way, assuming you have a relationship with this person.

If you are worried about the saftey of the younger person please report it to the authorities or a trusted adult.

Can a 19 year old date anyone?

Once you are 18 years old you can legally agree to have sexual activity with someone who is 14 or older.

A 19 year old can legally agree to sexual activity with any other legal adult (18+) and anyone between the ages of 14 and 17 as long as the 19 year old is not in a position of power over them.

There may be other reasons a 19 year old cannot date someone. Including the other person not wanting to date them, or individual job’s ethics codes.

If being under the influence is illegal for minors, would they get in trouble if they go to the authorities after a sexual assault?

No,they would not get in trouble for being under the influence.

Authorities are trained in dealing with all sorts of situations and how to priorotize issues.

They will handle the concern at hand.

I’d like to learn more about the hospital Sexual Assault Services.

That’s an amazing question and one we get often.

On cardteams.com/resources we have an entire section dedicated to breaking down hospital Sexual Assault Services and what to do if you have been sexually assaulted.

You can check out all the information using the link below.

Why is it OK to have relationships with older people at the age of 14?

The Canadian Law says that is legal for a 14 year old to give to consent to others who are up to five years older than them. Please follow the link below to learn about the ages of consent.

The Canadian laws about ages of consent are in place to protect young people. The laws are not to condone older people to having sex with young people.

Additionally, if sexual violence does occur it ensures that the young person feels empowered to come forward instead of feeling like they’ve done something agaist the law.

There are many individual factors to consider when making laws. For example, the fact relationships with larger age gaps do occur and cultural differences and perspectives dictate views on age gap relationships.

But most of all the government needs to draw the line somewhere.

When someone moves to Canada from another country, which laws do they follow? The country they are from or Canadian laws?

It is never okay to bully anyone.