Title : Consent: Yes means yes - unless it means no
Abstract:
The Cornell 7 case is only the latest in a stream of allegations of sexual assault where the issue of consent is the decisive factor.
There are a few worrying trends:
Due process: Confronting the accuser, sequestration of witnesses, weakening of collusion or conspiracy defense, presumption of innocence (language itself: “victim”), power imbalance
Bad actors and weaponization of sexual assault
Criminalization of all sexual conduct
Junk science: trauma-informed policing and judiciary, emprise, fawn response
Fads in psychology: refrigerator mothers, homosexuality, recovered memories
Current fad: trauma-informed approach and more specifically the fawn or appeasement response. Again, people are in prison for it.
Retroactive revocation of consent by the courts. Not surprisingly, there are few rigorous studies of the incidence and prevalence of false allegations of sexual abuse. “Believe all women” means that some research topics are taboo. Still, the consensus is that 8-10% of all accusations are patently false. This is the rate in the general population. Among women with cluster B personality disorders, other personality disorders (e.g., paranoid), certain mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and other mental health issues, the rate of false allegations is MUCH HIGHER. About 15% of the general female population belong to these cohorts. These women are also typically much more promiscuous (reckless) and so they account for much more than 15% of all sexual encounters.
