Moral Dilemmas of Spanish Youth: Consent in Alcohol-Mediated Affective-Sexual Relationships in Nightlife

In recent years, the issue of sexual consent in relationships influenced by alcohol and other substances has come under scrutiny and analysis within both the sociopolitical and academic spheres. To comprehend the moral validity attributed by Spanish youth to sexual consent in nightlife settings, in-depth group and individual interviews were conducted with a total of 53 university students. The findings reveal how the moral discussion surrounding consent validity becomes complex depending on the level of intoxication of those involved. It is concluded that three key ideas govern this discussion: (a) the ability to discern the level of intoxication of the other person, (b) the prior relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, and (c) the relationship between the person judging the validity of that consent and the aggressor. Thus, depending on how the mentioned key factors are resolved, the morality regarding the same act varies. The findings of this research contribute to the scientific literature with yet another piece of evidence highlighting the intricacies inherent in a profound understanding of sexual consent.