General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This message was self-deleted by its author [View all]mythology
(9,527 posts)Being cautious is always advisable in my experience. There's a reason that hiking guides always say to bring plenty of water, let people know where you're going and when you will be returning and so forth. Sure odds are that nothing bad will happen to you when you're hiking, but being prepared is a good thing.
As for your contention that one might miss out on good experiences if you are always taking precautions, that may be true, but you also limit your risk. Given that most crime is that of opportunity, it only makes sense to be wary.
This doesn't excuse the idiot who committed sexual assault obviously. But some portion of people will choose to engage in abhorrent behavior. It has been thus for all of human history. The best way to avoid being the recipient of said abhorrent behavior is to be aware of your surroundings. that isn't to say that somebody deserves to be the victim of a crime if they aren't.
To the original poster, I don't think this is a case of a blurry line. If you do not give explicit consent (or if you withdraw that consent for any reason and said contact does not immediately stop) then it's sexual assault.