Sexual consent
“Consent means the agreement given to a sexual partner at the moment the partners take part in sexual activities.” (Éducaloi)
Sport provides an environment rich in meetings with other passionate, young athletes like you. When you practice sport, you are bound to meet other people from different age groups and you might even be the same age as your coach.
It is crucial to understand properly that if a person is in a position of authority or trust (in a coach-athlete relationship, for example), then the consent of the underage athlete IS NEVER RECOGNIZED under the law.
It is important to understand how the law interprets sexual consent. Rules vary depending on the age of the people involved and the relationship that exists between these people.
- In Canada, the minimum age of consent to engage in sexual activities is 16 years old.
- If a person is in a position of authority or trust relative to an underage teenager (under 18 years old), the consent given by that teenager to engage in sexual activities can never be recognized under the law.
- However, if both people who wish to engage in sexual activities are underage, sexual consent is recognized:
- if the youngest of both partners is 12 or 13 years old, if the oldest partner is less than 2 years older and if the oldest partner is not in a position of authority, trust or exploitation;
- if the youngest of both partners is 14 or 15 years old, if the oldest partner is less than 5 years older and if the oldest partner is not in a position of authority, trust or exploitation.
For more information on this subject, please visit Éducaloi’s website.