Author Chanel Contos released a revised edition of her book, “Consent Laid Bare: Consent Laid Bare: Sex, Entitlement & the Distortion of Desire,” in the United States Tuesday. Credit: Courtesy of Corrie Bond
Content Warning: The following article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault.
In September of 2023, Australian activist Chanel Contos published her first book, “Consent Laid Bare: Sex, Entitlement, and the Distortion of Desire.” Her work was met with widespread acclaim for its honest and multifaceted approach to assessing rape culture.
A revised copy of the book was released in the United States on Tuesday — enabling it to reach an entirely new audience of American college students. The new copy includes additions on purity culture, sports and masculinity, masturbation and greek life — alongside updated statistics and stories, Claire O’Brien, a publicity intern at HarperOne, said in an email.
Contos encourages this discourse, and urges young people to make consent more than a brief acknowledgement but rather an ongoing conversation.
Contos founded Teach Us Consent in 2021 — a campaign that mandates consent education courses in Australia from grades K-10. Following the widespread success of her advocacy, Contos found herself on BBC’s 100 Women 2022 list, which honors some of the most inspiring and influential women across the globe.
“I wrote ‘Consent Laid Bare’ with the intention of raising peoples’ capabilities to consent,” Contos said.
The book explores a broad spectrum of topics that plague hookup culture, which is considerably prevalent on college campuses. These range from redefining consent beyond its legal definition to emphasize communication and clarify emotional intent, breaking down the societal norms that perpetuate rape culture and assessing stereotypical gender norms — while focusing on the roles of entitlement and accountability within these discussions.
Contos’ writing style approaches this heavy subject matter in a conversational format. This makes her lessons easier to comprehend and cultivates a realistic and informed viewpoint through which college students can view their own experiences.
Her writing speaks in a language that is effortlessly understandable. It feels like a therapeutic debrief with a friend who has only your best interest in mind.
“I wrote it how I speak,” Contos said.
The differing chapters of the book take its readers on an emotional journey. The beginning chapters, such as “What a Rapist Looks Like” and “The Spectrum of Sexual Violence,” assess identifiers within rape culture. The latter, like “Accountability” and “Empathy and Entitlement,” provide validation and strive to promote healing after traumatic experiences, while simultaneously furthering education.
Contos said upon reflection, she believes the most prominent themes of the book are the roles of entitlement and empathy in the lives of perpetrators and victims.
“Sexual assault occurs when entitlement to another person’s body outweighs their empathy towards that person, and empathy is really the solution I give in the book,” Contos said.
The book originated from Contos’ studies at University College in London.
“I wrote my master’s thesis on basically why sexual violence is so prevelant in high income contexts — in high income countries and in high income spaces — and entitlement was the answer to that, which is why it ended up being such a theme in the book,” Contos said.
Contos, throughout her writing process, endured mass revisions to turn her thesis into what “Consent Laid Bare” turned out to be.
“In the actual thesis I did, I was looking into how certain institutions not only uphold gendered power structures, but also colonial power structures and race power structures,” Contos said. “That continues to breed that same sense of entitlement that results in disproportionate rates of violence coming from small pockets of society.”
Throughout the launch of her original campaign, Contos posted an Instagram story in which she asked her followers to share their experiences with sexual assault. From this, she said she received over 7,000 testimonials — most of which were said to be unreported.
This inspired her to further shed light on these stories — Contos said she used what she took away from these first-hand accounts to further stress the importance of open conversation and unconditional empathy in these cases.
“I got a really unfortunate but also unique insight into rape culture,” Contos said. “Those are what I really drew on to write the book around, and that’s why it’s so relevant and applicable to so many.”
Contos said her book was well-received, especially by those who needed it most.
“The overwhelming piece of feedback I’ve gotten from victim survivors is that they found it really validating, and healing and really helpful to have really empowering language to describe and articulate reactions and experiences,” Contos said.
Contos said that her passion for this subject originates from her belief in the solution being evident.
“I’ve always been really passionate about gender equality. To me, the problem is so clear and the solution is so clear, and it’s just kind of out of frustration,” Contos said. “If you’re watching someone trying to finish a puzzle and they keep putting the piece in the wrong place and you can see the answer — I feel like that’s how I feel.”
The contents explored in the book resonate with college students, as these are the experiences that they will inevitably encounter — whether it be first-hand or vicariously. It is crucial to build a healthy perspective through which to view and navigate these often uncharted territories.
“Sexual violence is rampant on college campuses,” Contos said. “Male university students and young men are the most common perpetrators of sexual violence. So, this book is insanely necessary for young men, and unfortunately, more women tend to read it.”
To combat this pattern, the final chapter of the book, “Dear Boys and Men,” can serve as a standalone text which readers are encouraged to share with the men in their lives. This chapter is a bold and necessary addition, as it encourages self-reflection within men who have grown up in a society that diminishes their emotions and experiences.
“We desperately need boys and men to be active in these conversations if we wish to change the reality of sex for women — but at the same time, their feelings are valid,” Contos wrote.
Contos considers and appeals to all perspectives within the conversation of consent. She not only advocates for reflection on the systematic and interpersonal patterns that have fueled rape culture, but calls for action as well. She highlights what individuals can do in their own lives to combat this cycle, all while promoting awareness and acceptance.
Through featuring discussion points that are often regarded as uncomfortable, “Consent Laid Bare” makes a statement. If approached with an open mind, this can be a rewarding read for those looking to reflect on and challenge societally-constructed viewpoints — as well as those eager and willing to learn.