Communication and Boundaries
Does not resisting harassment immediately, or speaking only years later, mean the person consented?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
No. A person’s lack of immediate resistance or delay of many years before disclosing harm does not establish consent. At the moment, someone may panic, freeze or think only of leaving. Later, speaking may bring fears of family blame, threats or isolation by people around them. It is not as simple as outsiders imagine.
Dao Xing shared being harassed by an unfamiliar man on the way home during junior high school. At the time, she wanted only to get away, rather than immediately record a licence plate and report to police as others later suggested. Many years later, she still remembered the scene. This was her experience and reminds us not to use calmer hindsight to require every victim to react identically in the moment.
In practice, I hope people develop greater empathy. First try to understand the fear and inability to speak, rather than immediately ask why someone did not resist. Attractive or revealing clothing is not permission to touch. I also remind people to consider settings, friendships and interpersonal distance as self-protection. This cannot be reversed to justify inappropriate contact.