You have a right to say no to any unwanted sexual activity. But preventing or stopping unwanted sex is sometimes difficult because you may feel:

• Uncertain about what is happening (“Could this really be an assault?” “Could he really be doing this?”)
• Self-blame (“Is this my fault?”)
• Embarrassed or ashamed about what is happening
• Afraid of hurting the feelings of the person committing the assault
• Afraid of being rejected for not sexually satisfying a date
• Afraid of misinterpreting that a sexual assault is happening; afraid of embarrassing yourself by being wrong.

Not being able to prevent or stop unwanted sexual contact does NOT mean you are to blame for a sexual assault. It is up to the other person to ensure you have consented to any sexual activity.