(See also Coercion, Force, and Incapacitation)
Consent means knowing, and voluntary, and clear permission by word or action to engage in sexual activity.
A person cannot give Consent if the person is under the age of consent for sexual activity, the person is developmentally or intellectually disabled, or the person is mentally incapacitated or physically helpless.
Lack of protest or resistance cannot be interpreted as Consent. Silence cannot be interpreted as Consent. Consent must be ongoing throughout any sexual activity and can be revoked at any time.
The existence of a dating relationship, domestic partnership or marriage between the persons involved, or the existence of past sexual relations between the persons involved, is never by itself an indicator of Consent.
To legally give consent in Hawai’i, individuals must be at least 16 years old.