Consent is a regular part of today's conversations about Title IX. While universities like Brigham Young University are hosting consent training workshops, these workshops often overlook the complexities of sexual assault.

Sexual assault cases are often full of miscommunications, many of which can lead to false accusations. If students find themselves accused of sexual assault at Brigham Young University or another college, their future may be in jeopardy.

What Does Consent Training Look Like?

These days, conversations about consent make up a significant part of the debate surrounding Title IX. Rising concerns about consent on university campuses have encouraged additional conversations about what reliable communication actually is. Title IX Office Coordinator Tiffany Turley of Brigham Young University notes that body language, which partners often look to for interpretation, tends to be unclear, especially in uncomfortable situations.

Consent training is designed to help young people communicate with one another more efficiently. Turley recommends both verbal check-ins during sexual activity and conversations about consent outside of sexually charged situations.

The workshops at Brigham Young University emphasize Turley's best recommendations for effective consent. These workshops include volunteer-run games where one person tries to convey a message down a line of others. The miscommunications that result from multi-person messaging depict one of the many ways two people may fail to understand the boundaries the other has set.

The Trouble With Consent Training

Students, among other parties, have expressed a few concerns about the recommendations offered in their consent training workshops. The awkwardness, they say, around consent conversations is said to kill the mood, even between married couples. Turley recommends creating an atmosphere of intimacy to overcome these troubles, but doing so does not always fix a couple's problems.

College representatives can also overestimate the clarity of partner-to-partner communications. While partners – even married ones – may check in with one another, there is still a chance that parties may not effectively communicate. Women who are frightened to challenge a partner may also not be honest about how they feel if they fear they may get hurt.

Consent Training and False Accusations

Consent training can also lead parties to falsely accuse one another of sexual assault. People who misinterpret one another's intentions can find themselves in uncomfortable positions, even positions that may have legal consequences.

Contending with false accusations is not always easy. Allegations of sexual assault can see students facing extended civil and criminal trials. These trials come with the threat of jail time and serious fines. They also pose an active disruption to a student's regular schedule. Even students who walk away from false accusations of sexual assault may face bias as they wrap up their academic careers.

Overcoming Accusations of Sexual Assault

No student has to contend with false accusations of sexual assault alone. Students facing allegations of sexual assault can reach out to attorney Joseph D. Lento. Attorney Lento and his team at the Lento Law Firm help students across the United States better understand their legal options. As importantly, Attorney Lento and his team fight day in and day out for a fair process and the best possible outcome for their student clients, representing them at the school level and in court as needed.

For more information about sexual assault accusations and to understand the best path forward, students and families can reach out to Lento Law Firm. Call (888) 535-3686 or reach out via the Lento Law Firm's online form to schedule an initial consultation.