Age Of Consent

[The Shadow]

So how do you feel about current age of consent laws? I'm sure people will answer this as it pertains to the law in their own country/state/county etc, but that's OK as I think it could make the discussion more interesting.

Here in Canada, the legal AoC is 16, but that has changed only very recently - within the last year or so. But for over a hundred years, it was 14. Yes, you read that correctly; up until very recently it was perfectly legal for an adult to have sex with a 14 year old, so long as the adult was not a person "in a position of trust" like a parent or teacher; incredible but true. The decision to raise the AoC was due in large part to growing concerns about sexual predators on the internet (Dateline anyone?). While I'm glad the age has at least finally been raised to something more reasonable, I still have misgivings that even 16 might still be too young. Then again I'm not a child development expert, so I don't really know much about this sort of thing.

How do the rest of you feel about AoC laws - in your own area or others?

[anriana]

I like 16 and 17 being partial ages of consent, with a three year difference (ie at 16 only legal with someone 19 or younger), and then 18 being the official age.

[vanima]

I like 16 and 17 being partial ages of consent, with a three year difference (ie at 16 only legal with someone 19 or younger), and then 18 being the official age.

a lot like it is here.. 16 and 17 with partial.. but with a TWO year difference... and 18 being official....


honestly... i like the way it is set in my state.. but i like the 3 year rule too

[Greenday]

Looking up the laws, it seems a lil confusing. Seeing as PA and NJ are my main states of residence, those are the ones I referenced to. It seems like for both places, 16 is the main age. But I know I've heard a lot of this "if under 18, no sex with someone 2-3 years older or more". Can someone clarify this for me?

As far as age of consent goes, I feel 16 is a good age. At that point, you know what's up. What I DON'T like is girls who dress on the less conservative side and you find out they are a year or two too young. Damn jailbait.

[Flyndaran]

It's often a case of lesser crimes than legal vs. illegal. Sexual misconduct vs. statutory rape.

12 year old and 13 have sex. But laws said that having sex with anyone under 13 is sentenced to serious jail time regardless. Non judge discretion laws are stupid.

There are many under 18 that are mentally capable of giving consent, while many over 18 that aren't.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I personally think that 18 is the lowest level that AoC should go, for those mentally capable of giving it. (As someone, Saydrah I think it was, pointed out in another post, certain classes of people, such as the mentally incapacitated, are incapable of giving informed consent by virtue of their particular scenario) 16 is just a little too young for my comfort - granted, there are very mature and sensible 16ers out there, but they're usually too far and few between, from my general observation.

People like to say that age doesn't matter, but it DOES. :/

[anriana]

I personally think that 18 is the lowest level that AoC should go, for those mentally capable of giving it. (As someone, Saydrah I think it was, pointed out in another post, certain classes of people, such as the mentally incapacitated, are incapable of giving informed consent by virtue of their particular scenario) 16 is just a little too young for my comfort - granted, there are very mature and sensible 16ers out there, but they're usually too far and few between, from my general observation.

People like to say that age doesn't matter, but it DOES. :/

So you don't think it should be legal for 16 and 17 year olds to have sex with each other?

12 year old and 13 have sex. But laws said that having sex with anyone under 13 is sentenced to serious jail time regardless. Non judge discretion laws are stupid.

I completely agree. There was a ridiculous case in Georgia where a 17-year-old received fellatio from a consenting 15-year-old and was sentenced to prison for 10 years. (He served 2 of them before the case was appealed)

[Amethyst Hunter]

So you don't think it should be legal for 16 and 17 year olds to have sex with each other?

Not illegal, but it's not something that I'd recommend, at least. I may not be reading things right here; I'm tired and fighting off what looks to be my third bout of sickness this month. :/

There was a ridiculous case in Georgia where a 17-year-old received fellatio from a consenting 15-year-old and was sentenced to prison for 10 years. (He served 2 of them before the case was appealed)

Now that is definitely out of bounds, I agree. Without knowing any details beyond what you've provided, my initial thought is that it was stupid of them, but it's not something that should be illegal or punishable with jail time. Like Gilbert Gottfried said in Beverly Hills Cop II, "There are people running around out there with chainsaws and you're arresting me for unpaid parking tickets?!"

[Greenday]

Now that is definitely out of bounds, I agree. Without knowing any details beyond what you've provided, my initial thought is that it was stupid of them, but it's not something that should be illegal or punishable with jail time.

Stupid of them? They were both consenting. They both knew what they were doing so nothing stupid about it. It's two years. That's nothing. There was nothing wrong about what they did.

[anriana]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genarlow_Wilson Here's the wiki. To summarize, there was a holdover in the law that made oral sex with someone underage a felony.

[DrT]

I think 16 is a good age, though I wouldn't object to 14 years old playing with each other. As long as they are informed.

And that's where the problem might be: since the legal age is 16, one may want to protect the poor lil things from the boooboo bad sex stuff until they turn 16, and they'll start butterflying around before that and do stupid stuff, because they're not informed and resent being considered stupid by their parents.

So 16 with a 3 yrs different as far as legal is concerned, but if a 16 and a 14 yrs old are getting at it, liking it, and minding their business otherwise, why the hell not?

Not to want to go off subject, but if you allow them to have sex at 16, why wait till 21 to buy alcohol ? In France the legal age to drink alcohol in public is around 15 (well at least legal to order it), before the legal sex age (though that's a shady line as well)

[Boozy]

Not to want to go off subject, but if you allow them to have sex at 16, why wait till 21 to buy alcohol ? In France the legal age to drink alcohol in public is around 15 (well at least legal to order it), before the legal sex age (though that's a shady line as well)

Generally, it is not considered cool for teenagers in France to get drunk off their asses every weekend. It is considered cool to do so in the US. The French are also less puritanical about alcohol, so many of these kids will have a few drinks at home under a parent's watchful eye. The cultures are different enough that teenage drinking becomes a riskier proposition in America.

Also, far more teenagers drive in America than in France.

[DrT]

Actually, the getting frunk thingy is still cool, for some. Thankfully nto all of them, but it is true that the number of drunk driving accidents in less that 25 yrs old is increasing in France.

Honestly though; tis true that the behavior towards alcohol in america is rather immature, even in older people. (though we do have our share of immatures, and for all I know I simply saw the exception while I was in the states, not the rule)

Anyway, I'm of the opinion to let them binge their asses off when they're 16-18, puke their guts and be hangover all weekend, so by the time they're behing a wheel there's a chance they learned the lesson and start drinking less.

[anriana]

I like that idea, except that most teenagers get their licenses at 16.

I completely agree that American liquor laws are ridiculous. I just turned 21 this past Sunday in Indiana and I could only buy alcohol at a bar (not retail to take home with me) due to stupid morality holdovers. So, if I wanted to celebrate my 21st, I would need to DRIVE to a bar, get hammered, hope no one decided to date rape me, and hope the bartender called a cab for me. Obviously I didn't do this, but I was quite angry that I couldn't just go to the store and buy something.

I had also planned on doing the 21 shots ritual for a long time. Luckily I have good friends who helped me get in a little underage drinking (a margarita and a screwdiver, nothing crazy) so I could see that alcohol isn't the ambrosia it's cracked up to be before killing myself.

/rant

[DrT]

I like that idea, except that most teenagers get their licenses at 16.

The good ol': "old enough to die in a car accident, to get pregnant, to buy a gun, but OH NO certainly not to buy and drink alcohol"