Age of Consent.

[Scotty]

Polls

Channel 4, UK
On November 16, 2003 Channel 4 broadcast a programme; "Sex Before 16: Why the Law is Failing"[43] and afterwards conducted a phone poll of its viewers in the United Kingdom[44].

Of the 3366 respondents to the four options;

34% thought the age of consent should be reduced to 14
35% thought it should stay at 16
13% thought it should be raised to 18
18% thought it should be abolished

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_...hannel_4.2C_UK

[Scotty]

A little old but I just came across it.

[Bill5461]

Must be a lot of Libs in the UK

[open32]

Why would anyone want it to be reduced to 14. Especially assuming that the 3366 respondents where at least adults if not parents. You dont really want 14 year olds consenting with 25 year olds.

Here its 18 to officially consent, but there is no punishment based on that. Both people must be within 3 years of age two 16 year olds can consent without punishment, if there 12 and 16, thats 5 years and it would be statutory rape.

[Moshe..]

THe thing we worry about in this country is not the sex, although we should want to put an obstacle between younger kids and older kids (since that can be very damaging: e.g. virginia woolf), but the expresso reproduction of the lowest strata of society. Especially in this day and age when we can import polish people so easily and who knows soon enough, if only the japanese hurry up, factory-packed cybourgs. The chavs must be trained well in the practice of "malthusian-drill".

[Scotty]

Must be a lot of Libs in the UK

My Spidey-sense tells me you're a Republican.

Only Libs like to have sex with young kids...oh wait!

[Plastic Flute]

16 is still too young.

[Scotty]

Originally Posted by open32

Why would anyone want it to be reduced to 14. Especially assuming that the 3366 respondents where at least adults if not parents. You dont really want 14 year olds consenting with 25 year olds.

Here its 18 to officially consent, but there is no punishment based on that. Both people must be within 3 years of age two 16 year olds can consent without punishment, if there 12 and 16, thats 5 years and it would be statutory rape.

There's some arguments on Wiki but I forget now.

Wait! I do remember one which pretty much saw the age limit as a remenant of Religions footstep on the law of the land.

Channel 4 has a certain market of people, generally the younger more liberal audience. On the positive side of it they show and disscuss things that never would have been shown on the other terestrial channels such as cannabis legilisation.

Your laws tend to make a bit of sense. If a 15 and 16 year old hook up no one should go to jail.

Here's a map showing the AOC of different countries.



In Japan it there was no legal age till very recently.

[Scotty]

Originally Posted by Plastic Flute

16 is still too young.

So is 18.

Originally Posted by Scotty

Wait! I do remember one which pretty much saw the age limit as a remenant of Religions footstep on the law of the land.

We might just go back to a lower age number. Our kids are already being diagnosed with Diabetes and Arthritis. They'll be lucky to make it to 50.

Your laws tend to make a bit of sense. If a 15 and 16 year old hook up no one should go to jail.

I like that, too. Makes no sense to send 18 y/o Johnny to jail for making love to his 17 y/o gf. People are just uptight these days.

Originally Posted by Scotty

My Spidey-sense tells me you're a Republican.

HA!

[darko.]

You have to remember that all these age of consent laws come with their own little rules and on how the law is applied depending on the ages of the people involved. many of them already have laws within the law to address different scenarios, like a person under 21 banging a person under 18. where in many places,it's al right for a 19 yr old to have sex with a 14 yr old, a person over 19 can't. 5 year max difference and thigns like that.

[Spin Teacher]

I think it should be 18. There's really no reason for anyone young enough to still be in high school to risk having a baby. Besides maybe having to drop out of school, they just aren't mature enough to handle the possible responsibility that could come with having sex.

I don't even want 16 year olds driving, forget bringing up kids.

[MSFixR]

If the criteria is responsibility based on cognitive maturity then the mid-20s should be the age of consent.

[Samson The Cat]

16 is still too young.

Maybe it would have been to young for you. It doesn't mean that it's too young for everybody else. The current law only gives squinting parents, friends an opportunity to blackmail.

It's not as if a change to 14 would equal a campaign "Do it at 14 or you're not cool." The problem of peer pressure is already there and has to be countered by other means - basically talk, education... not always easy and not always successful, I know. But is it really moral to criminalize those who are mature enough at that age just to have legal power over those who are not? I am generally against jealousy-laws, even though I was jealous at my teenage time.

Here its 18 to officially consent, but there is no punishment based on that. Both people must be within 3 years of age two 16 year olds can consent without punishment

If I remember English classes correctly, every male person to have a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 16 can be subject to punishment in the UK. It takes an informer and probably a begrudging judge though.

I know that sexual deprivation can make one bitter. So it's not good to have a law encouraging that.

[Spin Teacher]

is it really moral to criminalize those who are mature enough at that age just to have legal power over those who are not?

Simple question...are 16 years olds able to care for a baby without significant help? No. If you aren't in a position to provide and care for the long term needs of a child, you don't need to be engaging in the act that could result in that type of responsibility.

I don't think in terms of what's fair to the teenagers, I think of in terms of what's right for the child that could be...

[open32]

^^Laws also serve as a deterrent. They can also serve to force the parent to take more responsibility.


I agree with Spin. There is responsibility that someone to young just doesnt have the ability to handle, physically and intellectually. Chances are they cant raise a child if it comes to that and the younger you are the harder its going to be to get prevention. And the fact that young kids will not know everything they need to know.

[darko.]

if that's your metric, then a large number of people over 18 shouldnt be allowed to have sex either.

and there is nothin stopping them from getting pregnant by having sex with people their own age. at least with an older person, by your own logic, it would be better because 1 of the parties is capable of taking care of things. so obviously there should be no age of consent, according to your reasoning.

the age of consent should be the age at which it is legal to marry.

[open32]

With laws there has to be a number. It will never be perfect, sure there are plenty of irresponsibility 18 year old who couldnt raise a child, even a few who cant figure out how to use a condom. At least they have a better chance of understanding there decision. They also have the ability to get prevention and most will know how to use it.

With a 14 year old there is a slim chance they fully understand, a limited chance they can get birth control on there own, and no chance to be able to raise a child.

You also want the law so older people dont take advantage, say a 14 year old with a 25 year old. They can be manipulated and lied to much easier.

[Blackmask]

The US laws of when someone is an adult are all over the place. Drinking 21, driving 16, someone can be tried for a crime as an adult at different ages depending on the crime. That there's differences in age of consent isn't really surprising.

You also want the law so older people dont take advantage, say a 14 year old with a 25 year old. They can be manipulated and lied to much easier.

I think this is possibly the bigger reason for the laws, to keep the "adults" from taking advantage of someone younger.

[open32]

The US laws of when someone is an adult are all over the place.

Thats because most of those laws regarding age are state things, sometimes even by county like entry into bars and clubs. The youngest state driving age is 14 the oldest requires 17. Mine was at 15 years old.