ShyGuyInChicago
April 5th, 2011, 03:42 PM
http://www.fox40.com/ktxl-should-californias-age-of-consent-be-lowered-20110329,0,6669718.story
ELK GROVE— An Elk Grove coach facing charges for his sexual involvement with a 16-year old now has some neighbors discussing California’s age of consent.
Currently, you must be 18 years old to have sex with an adult. California is among a handful of states to make eighteen the official age of consent. In other states, the age is 16 or 17. Parents say the age needs to stay high because kids have no idea what an older person’s intentions could be. During sex the teen might think it’s love, but the adult only wants one thing.
“Because there’s generational gaps, vast differences between a 36-year-old and a 15- or 14-year-old.” Matt Upton says he talked to his daughters early to make them think twice before having sex until they were older than 18. Matt says it’s a combination of good parenting and luck, that saved his daughters from hooking up with older men, but he’s also thankful for the California law.
“I think California should enforce stronger laws against predators of young people.” Nilda Valmores runs "My Sister’s House", a safe haven for helping women in need. She’s seen a number of teens who fall for that older guy and they say the same thing, they thought it was love.
“Yeah, and it can get even worse if the young girl continues to have sex with the older man. He could take over her finances, control her emotions or even make her perform sexual acts with others...and she'll do it because she's brainwashed,” says Valmores.
The concern isn’t just for young girls, it applies to young boys as well, just as likely to be manipulated by people old enough to know better.
California, by the way, is one of a few states in which the age of consent for male-female sex is the same if you are gay. In some states, the age of consent if the parties involved are the same gender is much lower than 18.
ELK GROVE— An Elk Grove coach facing charges for his sexual involvement with a 16-year old now has some neighbors discussing California’s age of consent.
Currently, you must be 18 years old to have sex with an adult. California is among a handful of states to make eighteen the official age of consent. In other states, the age is 16 or 17. Parents say the age needs to stay high because kids have no idea what an older person’s intentions could be. During sex the teen might think it’s love, but the adult only wants one thing.
“Because there’s generational gaps, vast differences between a 36-year-old and a 15- or 14-year-old.” Matt Upton says he talked to his daughters early to make them think twice before having sex until they were older than 18. Matt says it’s a combination of good parenting and luck, that saved his daughters from hooking up with older men, but he’s also thankful for the California law.
“I think California should enforce stronger laws against predators of young people.” Nilda Valmores runs "My Sister’s House", a safe haven for helping women in need. She’s seen a number of teens who fall for that older guy and they say the same thing, they thought it was love.
“Yeah, and it can get even worse if the young girl continues to have sex with the older man. He could take over her finances, control her emotions or even make her perform sexual acts with others...and she'll do it because she's brainwashed,” says Valmores.
The concern isn’t just for young girls, it applies to young boys as well, just as likely to be manipulated by people old enough to know better.
California, by the way, is one of a few states in which the age of consent for male-female sex is the same if you are gay. In some states, the age of consent if the parties involved are the same gender is much lower than 18.