Consent and communication
Traffic light consent system
A communication system using agreed colour words or signals to express consent-related status.
Other names and related terms: Traffic lights, Red yellow green, Stoplight system
Understanding the topic
Red commonly means stop, while yellow often means pause, reduce intensity, or check in. Green usually indicates that the current activity is welcome. Exact meanings vary, so discuss them rather than assuming a universal code. Accessible signals may matter when words are difficult.
The useful question is what the people involved actually understand and choose. A label can begin that conversation, but it cannot answer it for them. Discuss the proposed activity in ordinary language, include uncertainty, and leave room for a smaller plan or no plan at all.
Consent and communication
A green signal concerns what is happening now; it does not grant permission for a new activity. Ordinary requests to stop remain valid.
Discuss this outside an active scene, when everyone has time to think and can answer freely. Earlier enthusiasm does not remove the option to pause, refuse, or change a decision. Both the person offering an activity and the person receiving it have boundaries.
A practical example
Partners agree that yellow means stop moving and talk before deciding whether to continue, avoiding different assumptions about slowing down.
Common misunderstandings
The colours are not a substitute for noticing distress or asking useful questions.
Safety and risk awareness
If signals cannot be given or interpreted reliably, the system is not working and the activity should pause.
Questions to consider
What exactly will we do after yellow?
Related topics
This content was developed with AI assistance and is provided for general information only. It is not a practical guide or a substitute for qualified instruction.