Consent and Sexual Assault

Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union is here for anyone affected by harassment, bullying, or discrimination. Report confidentially, stay anonymous, or just ask for advice — you're always in control.

"If it affected you, it matters. Sexual assault, harassment and consent." text on a light teal background.

Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union is an inclusive community, where everyone has the right to be treated with respect. If you have been affected by harassment, bullying, intimidation or discrimination we are here for you. You don't have to be sure it was 'bad enough' to report. If it affected you, it matters. You can report without it going any further. You can just ask for advice, and you can even stay anonymous, it’s up to you.

What is consent?

As defined by (criminal law) Devon and Cornwall Police, consent means agreeing to what’s happening by choice, and, importantly, having the freedom and ability to make or change that choice. There are a few key things to remember:

You can change your mind at any point and withdraw consent, if someone carries on after you've asked them to stop, that’s still rape or sexual assault;
Saying yes to one thing doesn’t mean you’ve consented to anything else; If you’re threatened or pressured into something, then you haven’t consented freely and it is a crime;
If you can’t freely give consent, then it’s a crime. For example, if you’re asleep, too drunk to consent or have taken drugs.

FRIES

The FRIES acronym is an easy way to remember the key factors of consent.

F: Freely Given

Consent must come from a genuine yes. Not from pressure, fear, or wanting to keep someone happy. If someone's drunk, high, or feeling cornered, they can't give real consent. Example: You've been chatting to someone all night and you like them, but you're not ready to take things further. They keep pushing, and eventually you say yes just to get them off your back. That's not consent; that's pressure. It doesn't count.

R: Reversible

You can change your mind. Always. Even if you said yes before, even if you've done it before. You're allowed to stop at any point and that must be respected. Example: Things are getting physical with your partner, but you're just not feeling it tonight. You tell them you want to stop. That's you revoking consent, and your partner needs to respect that immediately.

I:Informed

You can only say yes to what you know you're agreeing to. If the details change without your knowledge, that yes no longer applies. Example: Your partner agrees to use a condom. Halfway through, they take it off without telling you. You never agreed to that, which means you didn't consent to it.

E:Enthusiastic

Consent isn't just the absence of a no. It's the presence of a real yes - whether that's verbal or through body language. If someone seems unsure, hesitant, or checked out, you don't have consent. Example: You're trying something new and your partner seems a bit off, but they haven't said stop, so you carry on. That's not good enough. If you're not sure they're into it, ask. It's that simple.

S:Specific

Saying yes to one thing isn't saying yes to everything. Never assume always check in before moving things forward. Example: You agree to go to someone's room to kiss. They start undressing and touching you without asking. Going to their room wasn't a green light for anything beyond what you agreed to. They should have checked first.

If you are at all confused about affirmative consent and how to make sure you have it at all times. You can learn more about consent via the Consent is Everything website.

Common Myths

You may have heard things that make you question whether what happened to you was a crime, or that make you blame yourself. These myths are wrong, and they have no place in the law.

Consent is the only thing that counts

Whether something counts as rape or sexual assault comes down to one thing: consent. It is never your fault. It's still rape or sexual assault regardless of:

Who the person was (a friend, partner, relative, or colleague)
Whether you'd been drinking or taking drugs
What you were wearing
If you were flirting, kissing, or invited someone back — none of these mean you agreed to sex
If you changed your mind partway through
Whether you fought back or got injured
How upset you seem — there's no "right" way to react
How long ago it happened
Your background, sexual history, or identity
Your sex or gender — women, men, and non-binary people can all experience rape and sexual assault
Whether you have any physical or mental health conditions

It can happen in relationships too

Most people are not attacked by strangers. Attackers are often people you know — a friend, partner, family member, or colleague. Rape and sexual assault can happen within relationships and marriage. If a partner has forced, threatened, or pressured you into sex, that is rape. Full stop.

How to report

Whatever you’re experiencing, no report is too small or too big to be taken seriously. You’re in control of what happens next, whether you choose to report formally, informally or anonymously because it is your story and your decision. You won’t have to face this alone; dedicated support teams are there to guide you every step of the way. And know that speaking up, even anonymously, makes a real difference – your experience is valid and reporting helps make the whole community safer for everyone.

There are three core ways you can report issues of harassment, sexual misconduct, bullying, intimidation or discrimination whilst you’re at university (as well as contacting the police):

With a formal report

The relevant individuals can discuss your case with you, letting you decide how to proceed. You can do this by contacting the wellbeing team: wellbeing@fxplus.ac.uk or going directly through the complaints procedures relevant to your university.

Informally

By telling someone informally what has happened, you can get information and advice, so you can decide what you'd like to do. A great way to do this is via Devon and Cornwall SARC – whilst, The SU is here to support you, we aren’t trained to take full disclosures.

Anonymously

You cannot be identified. Anonymous reports are used to understand the issues impacting our university community, to monitor patterns, and shape our prevention of, and response to, unwanted behaviour. You can do this via Support and Report.

Devon and Cornwall SARC

If you would like to speak to someone immediately, we encourage you to contact a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), which is a dedicated service offering free confidential healthcare and compassionate support to anyone who has been subjected to rape or sexual assault. These centres offer medical, practical and emotional support. They have specially trained NHS doctors, nurses and support workers to care for you. The closest Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to the University is in Truro. You can refer yourself by calling 0300 303 4626 or by submitting a call back form and they will call you back at a time you specify.

Support and Report

University of Exeter and Falmouth University both have their own reporting tool. Just follow the link below for your university. Please don’t stay silent – even if it feels minor. Every report helps support people, understand what’s happening and where possible act:

Support and Report is a confidential and informal reporting mechanism and therefore is not suitable for use as part of a formal reporting or complaints process.

If you would like to make a formal complaint for investigation, here’s how to get in touch with the wellbeing team for support: wellbeing@fxplus.ac.uk or 01326 370460

Or you can go directly to the complaint's procedures for your university:

Falmouth University (Make a formal complaint to the University)

If you do not wish to make a report to the police, or if you have already done so and the matter has been concluded, and you would like the University to take further action, you can make a Formal complaint. The Student Support team can support you through the process. Our advice service can also provide impartial advice.

University of Exeter

"We are committed to providing an environment where all students and colleagues are treated with dignity and respect, free of victimisation, bullying or harassment. We will not tolerate any form of sexual misconduct or harassment and incidents of this nature may be dealt with via the Sexual Misconduct policy and procedure and/or Disciplinary Procedures for Students, and/or Code of Conduct"

You can find out information on the University of Exeter webpage

It is important to remember that if it affected you it matters, consider reporting it to get the help and support you need and help keep our community safe.