There are different ways of understanding the rationale behind the consent requirement. On one view, the right to use defensive force initially applies only to the victim of aggression. In order for third-parties to be permitted to use force against the aggressor, this right must be “transferred” by the victim (Fabre 2009b: 158). An alternative approach focuses on the victim’s welfare, rather than their rights (Parry 2017: 370–376). On this view, the consent requirement is grounded in the anti-paternalist idea that we may not act “for the good” of another person if they refuse to be benefited (on paternalism, see Dworkin 2002 [2020]). If a victim validly refuses defensive assistance, then defenders cannot justify harming the aggressor by appeal to the benefit it would provide to the victim.