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What should the age of consent be?
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Original post by tazarooni89
Why is a 16 year old having sex with a 25 year old any worse than a 16 year old having sex with a 15 year old, in your opinion?
A 16 year old is not fully mature. Mature enough to have sex with other teenagers if they so please, and mature enough to fall in love, but a 16 year old having sex with a 25 year old could be seen as taking advantage. I'm not saying a 16 year old and a 25 year old cannot fall in love, but that sort of age gap just leaves a bad taste in the mouth generally. The point I was trying to make is that 16 is low enough, because a 14 year old having sex with a 25 year old could certainly be seen as taking advantage.
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by lukas1051
A 16 year old is not fully mature. Mature enough to have sex with other teenagers if they so please, and mature enough to fall in love, but a 16 year old having sex with a 25 year old could be seen as taking advantage. I'm not saying a 16 year old and a 25 year old cannot fall in love, but that sort of age gap just leaves a bad taste in the mouth generally. The point I was trying to make is that 16 is low enough, because a 14 year old having sex with a 25 year old could certainly be seen as taking advantage.
What do you mean by "taking advantage"?
Don't you think it's possible for a 15 year old to "take advantage", or for a 25 year old to not be "taking advantage", when they have sex with the 16 year old?
Would you agree with me if I said that 16 having sex with 25 isn't instrinsically any worse than 16 having sex with 15. The one which is worse is the particular case in which someone happens to be taking advantage?
Is this how they catch Paedophiles?
I think sixteen is perfect. Kids are always going to do things earlier than it's legal, so you lower it to fourteen and they will all be losing their virginities aged 12 or something.
It should be... left alone. People will have sex whenever they want regardless of law, so changing it wouldn't make much difference IMO.
Original post by Best Superlative
I see your criticism, but isn't it expedient to just set the same age limit for everyone, rather than "when they are mature enough for it", because although the latter seems more logical, I can see it causing far more problems in the legal system. >_>
I'm not saying that the limit should be set at "when they are mature enough".
Why does a person need to be "mature enough" before their consent to sex is recognised as valid? Well presumably it's because certain types of foul play could potentially occur if one or more of the parties concerned are not "mature enough".
Instead of simply saying "This person isn't allowed to have sex yet, but that person is", I think that particular cases can be independently assessed to see whether any such foul play has occurred.
I'm not saying that "Having sex with a 15 year old is wrong, and having sex with a 16 year old isn't". Rather, I'm saying that having sex with anyone is wrong if you know that you're in some way "taking advantage" of them. A 20 year old should be legally protected from this just as much as a 12 year old should.
Original post by tazarooni89
Why is a 16 year old having sex with a 25 year old any worse than a 16 year old having sex with a 15 year old, in your opinion?
A 16 year old could well be in the same school year and the same class as a 15 year old. If they were, then we can presume that they'd be fairly similarly mature - at an educational and intellectual level, and considering the negligible age difference, probably physically similar too. A 25 year old, on the other hand, is an adult and there are large, obvious differences between the maturity of a 25 year old and a 15 year old.
Personally I think the law should at least acknowledge the difference between a 16 y/o and 15 y/o having sex and a 25+ y/o and a 15 y/o having sex.
Tbh I don't even see why a 16 year old and a 15 year old having sex should be illegal. It seems somewhat unfair on the 16 year old. As I said, they could easily be classmates and therefore have pretty much equal knowledge about what sex means and the responsibility involved with it.
Sorry I just re-read the page and someone made a similar post to mine... ignore me if you wish. :P
(edited 13 years ago)
It's arbitrary no matter what the age is. I know 14 year olds more mature than 18 year olds.
In my opinion, penalties should be lessened in cases where it is clear there is no conflict of interests or abuse. I'f an 18 has sex with a girl who tells him she is 16 but is actually 14, why should he be prosecuted? But in the same vein, if an 18 year old knows a 14 year old is 14 and has sex with her and she doesn't want it and reports it, or tells someone she never wanted it then he should be. But equally again, if an 18 year old has sex with a 14 year old who wants it, and is to all intents and purposes declared to be mature enough to make that decision, he should not be prosecuted because her parents find out and so on.
It's a difficult area full of arbtirary rulings. The job of the Law should be to prosecute were harm has been caused, not where someone was born a few months too early.
In my opinion, penalties should be lessened in cases where it is clear there is no conflict of interests or abuse. I'f an 18 has sex with a girl who tells him she is 16 but is actually 14, why should he be prosecuted? But in the same vein, if an 18 year old knows a 14 year old is 14 and has sex with her and she doesn't want it and reports it, or tells someone she never wanted it then he should be. But equally again, if an 18 year old has sex with a 14 year old who wants it, and is to all intents and purposes declared to be mature enough to make that decision, he should not be prosecuted because her parents find out and so on.
It's a difficult area full of arbtirary rulings. The job of the Law should be to prosecute were harm has been caused, not where someone was born a few months too early.
Original post by tazarooni89
What do you mean by "taking advantage"?
Don't you think it's possible for a 15 year old to "take advantage", or for a 25 year old to not be "taking advantage", when they have sex with the 16 year old?
Would you agree with me if I said that 16 having sex with 25 isn't instrinsically any worse than 16 having sex with 15. The one which is worse is the particular case in which someone happens to be taking advantage?
Don't you think it's possible for a 15 year old to "take advantage", or for a 25 year old to not be "taking advantage", when they have sex with the 16 year old?
Would you agree with me if I said that 16 having sex with 25 isn't instrinsically any worse than 16 having sex with 15. The one which is worse is the particular case in which someone happens to be taking advantage?
Yes, I agree, which is why I don't think it should be put any lower. If a 14 year old has sex with a 25 year old, society will assume the 25 year old has manipulated the 14 year old to do it, even if it's not the case. Either way, 25 year olds shouldn't be interested in 14 year olds, and even 16 year olds.
Original post by Stefan1991
People actually voted for 18?
I voted for older. As evidenced by TSR, I don't think children (below 21) are old or mature enough in this day and age to experience sex.
Original post by Nicknak256
I think it's much better to have a higher age like 18, since kids will do it anyway, but hopefully slightly older when they are more aware of contraception, diseases etc. and so hopefully prevent a load of 12 year olds walking around pregnant!
I think 13 is a more appropriate age of consent, more in line with reality.
It's 13 in Japan for girls...
Original post by lukas1051
A 16 year old is not fully mature. Mature enough to have sex with other teenagers if they so please, and mature enough to fall in love, but a 16 year old having sex with a 25 year old could be seen as taking advantage. I'm not saying a 16 year old and a 25 year old cannot fall in love, but that sort of age gap just leaves a bad taste in the mouth generally. The point I was trying to make is that 16 is low enough, because a 14 year old having sex with a 25 year old could certainly be seen as taking advantage.
That's completely illogical though, the person is the same age. Why is a 25 year old taking advantage when a 15 year old isn't?
In both instances the other person is 16 so their ability to be taken advantage of hasn't changed.
Some people haven't matured by the age of 22, and can still be taken advantage of. Age is pretty irrelevant really. I know 30 year olds far less mature than myself (19).
Original post by Rant
I voted for older. As evidenced by TSR, I don't think children (below 21) are old or mature enough in this day and age to experience sex.
What kind of maturity is required to experience a natural bodily function in your view?
Original post by lukas1051
Yes, I agree, which is why I don't think it should be put any lower. If a 14 year old has sex with a 25 year old, society will assume the 25 year old has manipulated the 14 year old to do it, even if it's not the case. Either way, 25 year olds shouldn't be interested in 14 year olds, and even 16 year olds.
I don't quite understand what you mean by this; are you saying that sex between a 14 year old (or 16 year old) and a 25 year old is always wrong, simply because society may think that manipulation has taken place?
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