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Is It Rape or Consent? College Men Just Don't Know
Stephanie A Navarro Silvera1, Eva S Goldfarb1, Amanda S Birnbaum1
1Department of Public Health, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|January 28, 2026
Summary
Cisgender heterosexual men show a persistent lack of understanding regarding consent, with scores worsening over time. This highlights a critical need for improved consent education targeting harmful gender norms and promoting equitable relationships.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Public Health
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Women and LGBTQ+ students experience higher rates of sexual assault.
- Campus sexual violence remains a significant issue, with questions about consent education's effectiveness.
- Cisgender heterosexual men are disproportionately perpetrators of sexual violence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the understanding of consent among undergraduate students.
- To analyze changes in consent understanding over time.
- To identify disparities in consent knowledge based on gender and sexuality.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 1567 undergraduate students at a large Northeastern public university.
- Data collected in 2017 and 2022.
- Analysis of a nine-item consent scale by gender, sexuality, and demographics.
Main Results:
- Cisgender heterosexual men demonstrated poorer understanding of consent compared to women and LGBTQ+ students in both 2017 and 2022.
- Consent scores for cisgender heterosexual men showed no improvement and worsened on some items.
- Other student groups exhibited significant improvements in recognizing consent nuances.
Conclusions:
- Cisgender heterosexual men's understanding of consent has not improved despite awareness campaigns.
- Deeply ingrained beliefs about consent and masculinity present a persistent challenge.
- Educational efforts must directly address harmful gender norms and promote equitable relationships.
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