Age of Consent Laws, right to have sex?

[Rinoa]

Age of Consent laws are in place in every country to help protect children from 'forced' sexual interaction before they have become mature enough to deal with the consequences. The age of Consent varies from country to country, and in the US it varies from state to state. The lowest age of consent on the books is currently in Saudi Arabia, an incredibly low nine years of age, if the child is married. The highest is in madagascar, a whopping 21 years.

I believe the best determinate for when consent can legally be given is when the person reaches adulthood. Up until that point a they still lack the cognitive ability of adults, as well as the full physical development. Laws that place the age just above the average age of menarche fail to consider that the beginning of puberty is the onset of maturation into adulthood and not the culmination thereof.

Without these laws that prevent many(unfortunately not all) adults from sleeping with much younger people there could be more irrevocable damage to young children. This laws need to be in place to protect them from people who can manipulate them into potentially harmful acts.

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

Rinoa so which age would you consider acceptable? 18?

[Rinoa]

For society today, eighteen. It's when we attain real responsibility as citizens of this society and generally when the development of the forelobe(the cognitive section, which handles the ability to reason) is completed.

[SoccerfreakAB2]

Sex is such a private matter that I think the laws are a little unnecessary, though I wouldn't really disagree with them. My point is that if you're a teenager at a party, and you're around people all roughly your age, you're going to do whatever you want.

[Rinoa]

Soccerfreak: In the case you presented I believe that that is the parents role to take care of, not the laws. The parents should be the ones deciding how their teens are allowed to express those things. Utah actually has one of the best consent laws in reference to that issue.

At the age of fourteen the law that begins to apply is called the four year law. As long as the older person is less than four years older than the younger statutory is not an issue.

The case in which I believe these laws should be executed is when someone who is 21+ is sleeping with, say, a fifteen year old.

[gw120]

I think they should make it about 16. At that point you're probably mature enough physically, and understand, atleast somewhat, the consequences. And even if a kid doesn't understand the consequences or have a fully developed cognitive section of the brain, it's their choice to make.

PS: You can go to jail at 13 but not have sex? Doesn't make much sense.

[Rinoa]

gw120: But are you experienced enough in the world to know that someone who is that much older than you is after your body, and not a relationship? The age of consent laws that generally apply to sixteen year olds don't state that they can't have sex at all. That's the parents job. Those laws tend to state that they cannot have sex with someone who is x number of years older than they are.

You can go to jail for extreme crimes such as murder. The average underaged criminal is placed in juve(sp?) not jail. And at thirteen you are nowhere near mature enough to handle any of the consequences of sex. Even though they are likely to have acheived menarche(first period, average age 12, it's considered late after 15) most don't ovulate or have regular periods until six months to a year afterwards. Their bodies are in fact, so under mature at that age that the female can actually damage her birth canal and genitals by participating.

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

The UK age of consent is 16.

However Rinoa I tend to agree about the element of maturity and understanding.

Likewise I consider gw120's view correct. Perhaps the level is concern is to do with vulnerability. At 16 an individual is more easily swayed, thus perhaps consideration should be given to a dual age.

This would enact in law a degree of protection. Its format preventing consentual sex between an adult of over say 21 and a person under say 19 years of age. The other part covering those from 16 to 19 providing that the act is consentual.This would enable some freedom for youth and hormones whilst enabling woried parents that their child is not being led astray. The law would need to cover all forms of sexual contact and apply to both genders together with same sex partners.

[Osborn F Enready]

Rinoa said: Soccerfreak: In the case you presented I believe that that is the parents role to take care of, not the laws. The parents should be the ones deciding how their teens are allowed to express those things. Utah actually has one of the best consent laws in reference to that issue. At the age of fourteen the law that begins to apply is called the four year law. As long as the older person is less than four years older than the younger statutory is not an issue. The case in which I believe these laws should be executed is when someone who is 21+ is sleeping with, say, a fifteen year old.

I agree with that completely.

Mainly in that its the parents obligation, not the state or federal laws obligation. Utahs laws seems reasonable to me.

[Rinoa]

It differs from country to country, and part of the point of this debate is to discuss which country is correct in their limits.

I believe that a great of it has to do with the vulnerability of minors. There's a reason that they aren't allowed to enter legally binding contracts without an adult's signature accompanying their own. And sex is a rather large contract when you consider the possible consequences.

Personally I don't think that they are mature enough to really know whether they are gay or not before eighteen...and a gay man will sleep with a man who has slept with a woman...most women won't do the reverse. I'd like a different age law for gay sex, but that's really my personal morals, and I have trouble with the idea of forcing them on that minority.

EDIT: Where would I do a thread about the right age to have sex? (morally and physically, not legally)

[saltinespike]

I don't believe laws should be placed on sex. I am against morals and laws coming together, for they conflict with each other.

My reasoning for eliminating it would be that one, barely anyone knows about them. Two, no one follows them or respects them. Not the law at least. Enforcing the law would cause enraged citezens, though underaged citezens. It's just one of those things that the government looks down upon, but does not enforce.

[saltinespike]

Quote by: Rinoa EDIT: Where would I do a thread about the right age to have sex? (morally and physically, not legally)

Here is the right place. You presented it like a legal issue, which is why members regarded it as such.

Morally, I think that someone should be allowed to have sex when they are mature enough, and you cannot put an age limit on maturity. Not what you wanted to hear, but that's my opinion. Heh.

[Rinoa]

Thanks, I wasn't sure...As for this thread I wanted it addressed as a legal issue. I addressed it the same way, the title even refers to the law. I see the 'right age' and the age of consent to be completely seperate issues, one is within the realm of law because it is preventing rape, the other is a moral problem. One that should not be controlled by law.

[saltinespike]

Quote by: Rinoa Thanks, I wasn't sure...As for this thread I wanted it addressed as a legal issue. I addressed it the same way, the title even refers to the law. I see the 'right age' and the age of consent to be completely seperate issues, one is within the realm of law because it is preventing rape, the other is a moral problem. One that should not be controlled by law.

Not exactly. Rape is forcing someone to have sex without their consent. Free will is thrown out of the window. Legal issue.

[Rinoa]

lol, no I was saying that because the age of consent deals with a form of rape it is a legal matter. But the age at which we believe we are ready is a moral issue, and takes completely different ideas into consideration.

[saltinespike]

It shouldn't be. People always try to put an age on maturity, though it varies. Greatly. Which is why I think there shouldn't be an age set on it, legally or morally. I could see one set to physically, such as before a girl/woman's first period. But other than that, there shouldn't be an issue.

[SoccerfreakAB2]

Quote by: Rinoa Soccerfreak: In the case you presented I believe that that is the parents role to take care of, not the laws. The parents should be the ones deciding how their teens are allowed to express those things. Utah actually has one of the best consent laws in reference to that issue. At the age of fourteen the law that begins to apply is called the four year law. As long as the older person is less than four years older than the younger statutory is not an issue. The case in which I believe these laws should be executed is when someone who is 21+ is sleeping with, say, a fifteen year old.

I completely agree, I wish most states would enact similar laws.

[Slevin57]

The legal age of adulthood is not the same as the psychological age.

Studies have shown that the brain has not fully developed until you are about 21-23 years of age. The myelin that forms between your frontal lobes (logic/reason) and your amygdala (primitive functions--survival, reproduction, etc.,) is not fully formed until this age.

However, that does not mean your not capable of making the decision.

We generally raise our children to be semi-independent by the time they are 18. However, in this day and age (in the US) the pressures of sex are coming at a lower age.

Take me for instance, I didn't even know what a gay person was until about 7th grade. Now you have kids in the 5th grade being expelled for having sex during assemblies and beating up "gay children."

I think it's unfortunate that the innocence of childhood that alot of us got to enjoy, is slipping away.

[Rinoa]

I wouldn't say that the pressures are coming at a younger age. Actually, puberty currently occurs at about the same age as it did in Ancient Rome. (around 13, globally) It's just that in that time period people were generally equipped to be adults in their society then... Many women were married before the age of fifteen. Nowadays however, life is a little bit more complicated, and adult responsibilities require more of us. It's actually one of the first times in history that puberty is hitting long before we are considered adults by society.

Your right about the lack of formation in the frontal lobe, however, in the years after we turn eighteen less than ten percent of the myelin connections have yet to form. In fact, that never really stops occuring, it's just that the growth of the myelin is so small after that age that it's not really measurable.

As for decision making ability that greatly depends on on the development of the forelobe, and the acceleration towards completion is so high between the ages of fifteen and eighteen that the difference in mental processing is huge.

[Osborn F Enready]

Adults have full rights, hence a right to have sex.

Children, or what are deemed children in law, only have partial rights.

The right to sex is not a childs right, but an adult right, and the parents or guardians have the ability, and right to decide when their child is mature enough, developed enough to partake in that act, as well as the cuplability of PUNISHMENT should harm come from the act, or the rights of the child infringed and brought to attention.