Sexual offences and mutual consent

Abstract

Central to the morality of any culture are its norms and values on gender, especially on sexual affairs and personal relations. In most Western societies over the last half-century, there has emerged, for example, a wide acceptance of homosexual relations. There is also agreement on the absolute right of self-determination for women. Although there might be a discrepancy between values and reality, this constitutional equality is absent in other parts of the world. Nor has it always been the case in the West. This chapter focuses on the changing views on sexual violence and harassment and the consequences for sexual violence. Studying historical development in sexuality reveals a lot about the morality of a culture. Central to these analyses is the shift from external norms to the idea of mutual consent. It is the only criterion that fits in a secular and liberal context, in which people are autonomous and self-determining.