The age of consent should be lowered to 13.

Reply 80

bookera

Yeuww, you are not only a bit thick (the age of consent is 16, doh) but also more than a bit pervy.....

Reply 81

lonelykatana

17

Original post by SaturnVengeance

It's stupid and pointless to lock someone up because they had sex with a teenager. It's stupid, teens have sex with teens and adults have sex with adults, so why can't adults have sex with teens? Hell I have several friends who could go to prison for having sex with their 13-17 year old girlfriends, just because they are 18-21 years old. Hell right now I'm interested in a woman who is 17, but we wouldn't legally be able to have sex because I'm 18. My last girlfriend was 13 years old, and that was when I was 18 also. It's just a really stupid rule. There are people who have gone to prison and are registered sex offenders because they had sex with the person who is currently their wife, but they weren't when they had sex. Technically it's not pedophilia if they are 13 or older, so it has nothing to do with pedophilia. In some US states you can get married at 13. It's just a pointless law that puts good people behind bars. At 13 they are a teenager and able to make their own decisions. Who else would like the age of consent to be lowered to 13?

Reply 82

SaturnVengeance

OP

Original post by bookera

Yeuww, you are not only a bit thick (the age of consent is 16, doh) but also more than a bit pervy.....

We're talking about America, not England.

Reply 83

drbluebox

19

Just checked Wikipedia(bad I know lol) as I remember years ago hearing the age of consent in Scotland is 14 or to a greater degree puberty(so was hard to define)

Wikipedia said up till 1st December this year it was 14 for boys and 16 for girls, which makes sense with what I heard, as I remember at school a 14 year old guy having a kid with a 18 year old girl! but then heard this was illegal, because (at the time) I heard it was legal for a 14 year old to have sex with a girl as long as he didnt get her pregnant till he was 16 which I can see where the confusion arises.

Strange though that it has been raised, wonder if it has anything to do with people ranting about sexism or something.

Reply 84

llpokermuffinll

3

Original post by SaturnVengeance

It's stupid and pointless to lock someone up because they had sex with a teenager. It's stupid, teens have sex with teens and adults have sex with adults, so why can't adults have sex with teens? Hell I have several friends who could go to prison for having sex with their 13-17 year old girlfriends, just because they are 18-21 years old. Hell right now I'm interested in a woman who is 17, but we wouldn't legally be able to have sex because I'm 18. My last girlfriend was 13 years old, and that was when I was 18 also. It's just a really stupid rule. There are people who have gone to prison and are registered sex offenders because they had sex with the person who is currently their wife, but they weren't when they had sex. Technically it's not pedophilia if they are 13 or older, so it has nothing to do with pedophilia. In some US states you can get married at 13. It's just a pointless law that puts good people behind bars. At 13 they are a teenager and able to make their own decisions. Who else would like the age of consent to be lowered to 13?

Are you fully conscious?

Reply 85

House of Jonny

OP. I find you guilty of Statutory Rape: I hearby sentence you to :

-1 Reputation Point. :lol:

Seriously if I were you: Internet or not..... I wouldn't go saying that around everywhere.

Reply 86

xc1991

Original post by Rakas21

however given that the average age of virginity loss in the UK is 15

pretty sure thats not correct

Reply 87

Rakas21

21

Original post by xc1991

pretty sure thats not correct

I was just going by a newspaper article a few months ago, no idea whatt he actual statistic is.

Reply 88

xc1991

Original post by Rakas21

I was just going by a newspaper article a few months ago, no idea whatt he actual statistic is.

i heard somewhere that it is 18. and in any case 15 sounds far too low, i mean its not uncommon to still be a virgin at 20, and think how many 10year olds theyd need to balance the average out

Reply 89

Mm_Minty

17

Kids grow up too fast these days.... :emo:

Reply 90

WelshBluebird

16

Original post by SaturnVengeance

We're talking about America, not England.

No we aren't. This is mainly a uk site, so its about the UK.

Reply 91

username291885

3

Original post by tazarooni89

Specifically what kind of maturity/worldly experience do you think a person needs before they can be allowed to make decisions about sex?

They need to know about how people can use them and abuse them. About what it takes to have and raise child. About the diseases that can be spread by having sex. About the feelings that can be associated with sex, be it lust or love. Sex is one of those things can be over in a minute but effect a lifetime.

Reply 92

ily_em

17

Original post by Dude Where's My Username

Proof or GTFO

"New Hampshire: 18, 14 for males and 13 for females, in cases of "special cause" with parental consent and court permission."

I doubt OP looked it up though :P

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age#North_America

Reply 93

Jacktri

2

you shouldn't be having sex below the age of 16 anyway

Reply 94

tazarooni89

20

Original post by ash-corbett-collins

They need to know about how people can use them and abuse them. About what it takes to have and raise child. About the diseases that can be spread by having sex. About the feelings that can be associated with sex, be it lust or love. Sex is one of those things can be over in a minute but effect a lifetime.

The things I've highlighted in red:
Don't you think that comes with experience of sex and relationships, rather than simply with age? Don't you think there are plenty of over 16 year olds who still don't have that kind of maturity due to a lack of experience, while there are plenty of under 16 year olds who would have that kind of maturity if they were allowed to experience sex and relationships?

About what it takes to have and raise a child:
Once again, don't you think this comes with experience rather than age? I'm 21 and still have no idea what it takes to have and raise a child, because I've never attempted to have or raise a child. I doubt anyone is really going to know about this until they've actually done it. Crossing a magical age barrier doesn't really seem to help.
Plus, what about the types of sex that do not lead to pregnancy and childbirth? There's gay sex, oral sex, sex when one person is known to be infertile etc. Surely this doesn't require any knowledge about having and raising children?

About the diseases that can be spread by having sex:
Once again, this seems to have little to do with age. I knew a fair bit about sexually transmitted diseases by the age of 12, because that's when my school decided to teach us about them, and it was included in our end of year exams. But I also think there'll be many over 16 year olds who still don't know much about them, just because they haven't been taught about them or read about them. People over 16 are still having unprotected sex and catching all sorts of diseases.

I agree that, before having sex, it would be good for a person to know what they're getting themselves into. But the types of maturity you've described seem to have a lot less to do with age rather than simply having experienced sex or raising a child, or having been taught about STDs. It's true that 13 year olds in general probably won't have this type of maturity - but maybe they would if they were introduced to these issues earlier?

Reply 95

caiitlinz

13

Come on, someone that's 13 can hardly be given the responsability over their whole future.

I know that most people don't look at sex in that way, but underagers generally don't have as much information, are feeling peer pressure etc., so they make worse choices. Especially with contraception.

Then again, I find any five-year age gap relationship while you're in your teens a bit weird, but that's just me.

Reply 96

username291885

3

Original post by tazarooni89

x

I agree that perhaps it is more to do with gaining the experience than the age of the person, but there are other factors to consider with age as well. I cannot see any justification for allowing a 13yo to become a parent, which would be a possibility if they were legally allowed to have sex. However, I do understand that a lot of 16yo are not much better prepared themselves.

I think the problem is at 13, as well as 16, not a lot of people fully understand themselves or the world. If there were a way of implementing an experience limit on sex, rather than age, then that would be a lot better, but of course this would be impossible, so the 16 limit is the best in the situation to at least try to make sure people are ready for sex.

I think the current system works best. Sixteen is the limit, but over thirteens can experience sex if they feel ready with those of a similar age without prosecution. If the age of consent was lowered there could be a worrying increase in relationships between those between 13 and 16 and those over the age of 18 for example.

Reply 97

tazarooni89

20

Original post by ash-corbett-collins

Sixteen is the limit, but over thirteens can experience sex if they feel ready with those of a similar age without prosecution. If the age of consent was lowered there could be a worrying increase in relationships between those between 13 and 16 and those over the age of 18 for example.

Suppose you have a 13 year old person - what is the difference between them having sex with someone under 18, and having sex with someone over 18? What makes the latter more "worrying" than the former?

Reply 98

username291885

3

Original post by tazarooni89

Suppose you have a 13 year old person - what is the difference between them having sex with someone under 18, and having sex with someone over 18? What makes the latter more "worrying" than the former?

When the partner is over 18 it is worrying because it is not the norm in British society for one to have sexual relations with someone that young. Of course it is most worrying if the older partner was say 40 or 50, but if the partner is 18 then it is still wrong. The differences between someone who is 13 and someone who is 18 are immense, since our teenage years are when we develop the most other than early childhood. If one of my friends 18-20 informed me that they were dating and having a sexual relationship with someone of 13 I would find them disgusting and question their morals. Of course that is just my personal opinion, but I suspect that the majority of people would feel the same.

If it's two under 18s that are engaging sex, however, then that is more reasonable since they are closer in age, experience and development.

To me, 13 year olds are children. They can't be considered as reasonable sexual desires since their bodies are not fully developed, as well as their minds.

Reply 99

tazarooni89

20

Original post by ash-corbett-collins

When the partner is over 18 it is worrying because it is not the norm in British society for one to have sexual relations with someone that young. Of course it is most worrying if the older partner was say 40 or 50, but if the partner is 18 then it is still wrong. The differences between someone who is 13 and someone who is 18 are immense, since our teenage years are when we develop the most other than early childhood. If one of my friends 18-20 informed me that they were dating and having a sexual relationship with someone of 13 I would find them disgusting and question their morals. Of course that is just my personal opinion, but I suspect that the majority of people would feel the same.

If it's two under 18s that are engaging sex, however, then that is more reasonable since they are closer in age, experience and development.

Is it purely due to societal norms that such an age gap would be "worrying"? Or is there anything intrinsically different between a 13 year old having sex with another 13 year old vs having sex with a 40 year old? Is there any real necessity or practical benefit in the two partners being close together in age? Or is it just that it is a societal norm, and society doesn't generally look kindly on deviants?
I agree that plenty of people would find the idea 'disgusting', but then not long ago people would have probably said the same about homosexual or interracial relationships. Societal norms can change.

Also, do you think that a sexual relationship between a 13 year old and a 53 year old is equally "worrying" and "wrong" as a sexual relationship between say, an 18 year old and a 58 year old? (Same age gap). Do you think society and the law should make arrangements to restrict the latter relationship as well?

(edited 13 years ago)

The age of consent should be lowered to 13.

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