A NEW campaign encouraging people to talk about sexual consent to reduce rape was launched in Somerset this week.

The 'Play Pause Stop' campaign was launched on Tuesday by Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support, (SARSAS), with the backing of patron and founder of the Everyday Sexism project, Laure Bates.

SARSAS say the campaign is to get people talking about sexual consent and encourage agreement between partners, to reduce rape and sexual assault incidents.

It follows official figures that report almost a third increase of reported rape cases, considerable disquiet around the conduct of some male university students, and a dramatic surge in calls to the SARSAS support service.

Laura Bates said: “It is vital that we raise the issue of consent to help prevent sexual assault and rape.

“There is currently an extremely high level of confusion and misinformation surrounding consent, which is very worrying, particularly against the wider backdrop of violence against women and girls.

“It is vital that clear information is available and that we emphasise that enthusiastic consent is an essential and non-negotiable part of any sexual activity.”

Rowan Miller, director at SARSAS, added: “With Pause Play Stop we intend to promote the fact that consent is part of communication between people, and not something else to think about or a barrier to enjoying the sexual activity that people want.

“Around 85,000 women are raped and 400,000 sexually assaulted in England and Wales every year, so the importance of consent cannot be stressed enough.

“Sex without consent is rape, yet confusion around the concept of informed consent endures. Hence we want to fast-forward to a point when it is clear and openly sought and given.

“Whilst in this initial phase we have a focus on students we intend to broaden the audience for this campaign to other young adults to increase the focus on the subject.”

To find out more about Pause Play Stop, please visit the website pauseplaystop.org.uk.

For information about SARSAS, or how to get support if you are a victim of sexual violence, log on to sarsas.org.uk or call 0808 801 0456