Age of consent

[thisqboy4u]

Different countries have different age of consent laws. Some are 16 while others are 18. Does anyone think the age should be lowered or raised? What is a good age to consent to a relationship? And why?

[Severus Snape]

They should be drastically lowered. I like the 14-15 range. Let's face it, by that age everybody wants to have sex and everybody is going to have sex, but it is a federal crime to do so? That seems fair. I know it is mean to protect little kids from pedophiles, but come on, more underage sex happens between underage people.

Its because the US is filled with Purist Christian sexualists who lobby to get these ridiculous laws passed. Technically, anybody who is under 18 that has sex with anybody under 18 is a statutory rapist. Our sex laws need to get much more liberal, and fast. Sodomy is still against the law in California I believe. *facepalm*

[Stevo 69]

Well, most are 16 or obove, the governments have these laws for reasons are not going to change them. I read that the main reason is that they think under 16 is not mature enough, think about it, most teens are having sex, some even before they hit 16, this is because of hormones, and the fact they feel like an adult.

So lets say it was lowered to 15 we would be having sex legally, this would leed to unprotected (probably) therefore the risk of having children would be very high which be unplanned and then having a very high population, also there would be a much higher risk of STIs.

So a few reasons here.

[Severus Snape]

So lets say it was lowered to 15 we would be having sex legally, this would leed to unprotected (probably) therefore the risk of having children would be very high which be unplanned and then having a very high population, also there would be a much higher risk of STIs.

So a few reasons here.

Not if every school was required to teach contraception. The problem is that too many schools have abstinence programs instead of birth control education. Abstinence programs probably lead to more births than not either, but it is more religiously agreeable to lawmakers and local legislatures not to teach about birth control. It isn't about the objective to curb teen pregnancies, its about legislating christian morality into law, which is more or less screwing us over right now.

You live in the UK, so you probably don't know, but US health/sex ed classes are a joke. Even when the teacher gets up the courage to even say the word penis or vagina everybody blushes and conversation ceases for a good ten minutes. Why we are so ashamed of sex I don't know...

(It isn't even called sex ed! Its called health for pigeon's sake!)

[theOperaGhost]

Not if every school was required to teach contraception. The problem is that too many schools have abstinence programs instead of birth control education. Abstinence programs probably lead to more births than not either, but it is more religiously agreeable to lawmakers and local legislatures not to teach about birth control. It isn't about the objective to curb teen pregnancies, its about legislating christian morality into law, which is more or less screwing us over right now.

You live in the UK, so you probably don't know, but US health/sex ed classes are a joke. Even when the teacher gets up the courage to even say the word penis or vagina everybody blushes and conversation ceases for a good ten minutes. Why we are so ashamed of sex I don't know...

(It isn't even called sex ed! Its called health for pigeon's sake!)

Actually, in my school system we have sex ed three times. The first time is in 6th grade and is only two days long (boys and girls are separate). Basically all that is taught in this is puberty (obviously a good time, since that's when most of us are starting it, eh?). Next in 7th grade, we have about 3-4 weeks of sex ed. We cover the anatomy briefly, but most of it consists of teaching about pregnancy, STDs, contraceptives, birth, etc. Abstinence really wasn't even stressed or talked about in my school (maybe that's why we have so many pregnant girls there? One year we had 5 pregnant girls. That may not sound like many, but my whole school is 100 people, guys and girls. So approximately 50 girls...5/50 is pretty bad.). The next time we had sex ed was in 9th grade. It wasn't really sex ed, but it was kind of...idk...it mainly dealt with relationships and dating, but touched on sex a bit more as well.

[thepieman]

Personally, I feel 16 (as it is in the UK) is quite a good age for consent. You begin to mature, not just physically, but emotionally as well just before this - which is really important in a relationship, particularly if it involves sex.

[theOperaGhost]

Sixteen year old kids might be physically mature enough, but they are not emotionally or mentally mature enough. I think 18 should be the age of consent. It's an adult decision and 18 is the age in which MOST cultures consider someone to be an adult.

[greg95]

Different countries have different age of consent laws. Some are 16 while others are 18. Does anyone think the age should be lowered or raised? What is a good age to consent to a relationship? And why?
first of, i dont think a law will change anything, becoz many already do it under their legal age of consent anyway

but my opinion is that people are ready at different times, for me at 14, everything was fine, but for some people it may be later, so whats the point of naming a "good age" ?

i'm fed up with those old government politicians deciding what is good for me and what isn't !!

[Severus Snape]

Actually, in my school system we have sex ed three times. The first time is in 6th grade and is only two days long (boys and girls are separate). Basically all that is taught in this is puberty (obviously a good time, since that's when most of us are starting it, eh?). Next in 7th grade, we have about 3-4 weeks of sex ed. We cover the anatomy briefly, but most of it consists of teaching about pregnancy, STDs, contraceptives, birth, etc. Abstinence really wasn't even stressed or talked about in my school (maybe that's why we have so many pregnant girls there? One year we had 5 pregnant girls. That may not sound like many, but my whole school is 100 people, guys and girls. So approximately 50 girls...5/50 is pretty bad.). The next time we had sex ed was in 9th grade. It wasn't really sex ed, but it was kind of...idk...it mainly dealt with relationships and dating, but touched on sex a bit more as well.
What state are you in?

[Billy15]

I know we need certain laws but come on guys really. I am 15 and I know what I want to do and what I don't and how can you put an age on love? If I met a guy tomorrow who was 19 and we fell in love, whats the big deal, who does it hurt really? I understand rape and force and stuff like that and sure there should be laws for stuff like that but loving someone or deciding to have sex, I think 14-15 is plenty old enough to decide.

[theOperaGhost]

What state are you in?

North Dakota

[nick]

I think 16 is about right. Here in the UK if two people under 16 have sex together they wont get prosecuted, but having the legal age at 16 protects younger people from predators.

[MisterMonster]

People have sex underage anyway, and no one cares in the UK. 16 is just a figure they put down. Yeah, I think 16 is a good age and the way people underestimate people under 18 is phenomenal. It's the same age with different numbers. If you havn't grown up by 16 then you're not going to grow up by 18

[Severus Snape]

North Dakota

Ah, I've only been 'educated' in the south.