age of consent

[Dudity]

The whole "age of consent" question is arbitrary, unenforceable in any fair and consistent manner, and rather stupid... at what age does a person have the right to make decisions about his or her own body? How can that age be the same for everyone, considering that every individual develops at a different rate?

And what difference does it make if the person(s) with whom someone shares his or her body is older or younger? What difference does it make if both partners are under eighteen or only one is? What difference if you're sixteen or eighteen, or if your partner is nineteen or thirty?

But considering the arbitrary nature of such laws, it doesn't matter whether the age of consent is eighteen or sixteen. Eighteen is when you are legally of an age to make your own decisions: you can sign contracts, you can smoke, you can have surgery, you can get married, you can join the Armed Forces, you can buy lottery tickets, you can get a job, etc., without requiring permission. So why not make decisions about sex at the same time?

I think my problem with the whole thing, though, is the idea of "statutory rape"... I mean, there's a world of difference between pedophilia and a twenty-year-old having consensual sex with a sixteen-year-old. Though the sixteen-year-old does not have the legal right to give consent, that doesn't make the twenty-year-old a criminal... by rights, it is the sixteen-year-old who has broken the law, giving consent without the right to do so. I mean, consent is consent, no matter if the individual has the legal right to give that consent; rape is rape, and there is no consent... that's what makes it rape.

Excellent post. I agree completely.

 

[freefall]

Even if it did exist, who really cares about it anyway? People are breaking it as if it weren't at all there.

There are people really underaged doing things totally bizarre. Like here, a 12 year old boy had sex (read: raped, yes, raped) a 6 year old girl, and a 13 year old boy contracting STD due to promiscuity with younger girls --'.
And I don't believe it if someone would rather stay totally nice and avoid adult (porn, violence, you name it) sites or materials or boozes.

Supervision is working better than merely statements, no matter how old the age of consent is.

But, I don't agree if it were lower. To me, 16 is already too low, considering how rad and dysfunctional a kid nowadays can be (I had a friend who impregnated a girl when he was 14---not something very new, but still a pretty good example of things that can be prevented happening to you if you're not fucked up about doing things prematurely, especially when you think you are just having fun with adultery and are not willing to take responsibilities because you think you are still a kid). If the age were to be lowered, then it is assumed that the kids falling into the range could take responsibility, which is but one of the things kids nowadays can't even spell correctly.

 

[Críostóir]

A table of worldwide ages of consent, including all US States.

Note that the age for homosex is the same as for heterosex in all 50 US States; I believe this is the result of Lawrence v. Texas, a Supreme Court decision that invalidated laws making homosexual acts illegal (or treating them differently from heterosexual ones).

 

[MyReply]

In most states, the age of consent is 17...and it stay that way.

 

[MoufOfKhaos]

Don't care. Don't really date/fuck guys younger than 21.

 

[Críostóir]

In most states, the age of consent is 17...and it stay that way.

Untrue. According to the table I linked to earlier, 27 states have an AoC of 16, while only 7 have 17. 8 have 18, and the rest have complicated conditional ages depending on the age of the partner and whether s/he is in a mentor relationship to the consenter, etc.

 

[borg69unimatrix]

I think all youth should be locked in a Maturation Chamber until their 21st cycle... at least.

 

[Críostóir]

IMO, if you have to think or inquire about the age of consent before getting sexually intimate w/ someone, you're a pervert. *shudder*

You really think so? Even if the thinker/inquirer is 18 or 19?

I don't think it's at all unreasonable to want to know these things. Lots of 16-year-olds can pass for 18, and some of them are in college among the 18-year-olds. If you're 18 and in college in a state where the AoC is 18, you'd better know it, and make sure you see ID before unzipping!

We have stupid unreasonable laws wrt sex in the US, as I've said before. But stupid and unreasonable does not mean they're not enforced, and it's good to know what they are.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

IMO, if you have to think or inquire about the age of consent before getting sexually intimate w/ someone, you're a pervert. *shudder*

yeah cans drift with dat

while internet ans off it lot cultures no can manage ooh look they is young folk what a not of da legal< ans just see folk what ooh look humans

go keep ma ink maself

maybe da countrys sign up ta united nations invite some little humans ta chair so remind um ooh

-

how many tribes in Brazil think Cleopatra wear pointy hat?

 

[Críostóir]

Wow, in Vatican State it's 12 years old?

Of course! Think about it.

 

[asu1117]

Of course! Think about it.

I was wondering when someone would say something along those lines..

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

Of course! Think about it.

what a ta think about?

wanderin eye stuck on lens?

-

ans world wait fa da cheese

thankyou

 

[looseliam]

I have to say in this case that the law is there to keep the 'honest people honest'.

Let us, for example, say that theft was legal. How many would then go out and steal whatever they wished?

I think the current age of consent prevents a lot of predatory behaviour - intentional or not.

The truth is, a 30 year-old pederast-predator will seek the company of a 15-16 year-old regardless of current law.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

I have to say in this case that the law is there to keep the 'honest people honest'.

Let us, for example, say that theft was legal. How many would then go out and steal whatever they wished?

I think the current age of consent prevents a lot of predatory behaviour - intentional or not.

The truth is, a 30 year-old pederast-predator will seek the company of a 15-16 year-old regardless of current law.

ya mean da worlds great civilizations no idea how control umselfs ins their wakamoolees? or still not figure anythin with all da great educated calsses ans greats librarys schools ans collegys ans univeristys ans folk is come ta this site ta learn how shoelaces get muddy?

' oy ya mind! '

anyay let see what da great econmists got a say!
' well it cost effectives but now got look at downgradin '
ooh

ans next dish is not German
YES it sand pie!!!!!! fa all ya lucky folk what love it
' more sand? '
Coor please

how humans survive 100000 years ago?
YES you guess right!

 

[looseliam]

^ I'm not saying that civilisation doesn't know how to control itself rather that there are some people who don't commit certain crimes, do certain things merely because they are prohibited by law.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

^ I'm not saying that civilisation doesn't know how to control itself rather that there are some people who don't commit certain crimes, do certain things merely because they are prohibited by law.

lawwwwwwww?

ya take any note world just just just past 11 years?

anyway whens da great cultures OF da WORLD
learn how put da square in da square a hole ans da circle in da circle hole again ans their populations got same game with out da instruction book< what keep changin every 5 mins

be KOOL
' da moon! '
yeah it same one
' KOOL '
here ya degree

 

[looseliam]

^ don't you remember Apollo 13? We put the square peg in the round hole.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

^ don't you remember Apollo 13? We put the square peg in the round hole.

nah

but one a hope world figure point of space one day



all humans aint turn inta puddins so there tiny tiny hope if they wanna live ta da cosmic age of

yes ya made it!!!
' ooh ans get shiny gold star it very hot '
yeah dat cause it a real gold star
' ooh ya got any pink ones? '
after ya pass grade 1
' ooh '

 

[Sam Blum]

I must say that each time we visit this question, I always find myself appreciating the response most like Swellegant's reads here.

When I look back on my own adolescence, I can't help but remember the burgeoning sexual desire I and many of my contemporaries felt. To imagine we didn't explore each other and in many cases, actively, aggressively pursue and explore older guys and women would be extraordinarily naive! And we were mostly kids from strong families with quite good values and sound education, so it's not like I'm telling you about kids living without guidance or without hyper-vigilant supervision. I was very attracted to older (30's-40's) guys as a teen and did whatever I could to get them. These are not men who took any advantage of me, and I was informed and in a position of being able to think as clearly as anyone should with hormones in their brains and dicks.

Lastly (yeah, right...), please don't tell me that our age of sexual consent should ever be higher than that of the right to consent to become a soldier or sailor! That is not only illogical and stupid, but mean spirited and cruel. We need to reduce policing of other people's bedrooms (or alley ways, car seats, etc) and get on with equipping young people with skills to help them choose well and enjoy their lives instead.

 

[mbamike]

The AOC in South Carolina by statute is 16, but the sex partner cannot be more than six years older than the sixteen year old.

Contrary to that, the state Constitution sets the AOC at 14.

No, I do not think is should be lower.