Current Events > Why is the age of consent 16 in many places? Shouldn't it be 18?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Makes you wonder what is going on in our world. Also, no one really talks about this. Think about it, 16 you can consent to having sex with people 18 and over. I guess it's so taboo no one wants to talk about it even though it's legal in many places.

I dont think theres anything wrong with it being 16. Plenty of people will be sexually active by then anyway.

At 16 I was living independently of my parents.

generally the age of consent is to protect people from sexual predators
It's why romeo and julliet laws exist

Its effectively 18 because even in states where 16 is the aoc people think its 18.

I think we need some sort of age range law. Like, right now isnt it legal for a high school kid to have sex with an elementary student? That doesnt sit well with me at all. And on the flip side, I think its wrong to bash a 19 year old for hooking up with a 16 year old. 16 and 19 is a lot more fair that 17 and 11, but the 17 and 11 is is legal in all States, right?

I believe the intent is to avoid punishing two teens that have sexual contact with each other? I'm fine with that, so long as they still punish adults who go after teens that young.

Edit: At the above, no I don't think it's legal for a teen to sleep with an elementary school student. The laws get more strict if sexual conduct involve a child under 12 (at least I think it's 12). I served on a jury for a child predator and the charges were enhanced because the girls were under 12

because you still have conservatives defending marrying 12 year olds.

Bad_Mojo posted...

I think we need some sort of age range law. Like, right now isnt it legal for a high school kid to have sex with an elementary student? That doesnt sit well with me at all. And on the flip side, I think its wrong to bash a 19 year old for hooking up with a 16 year old. 16 and 19 is a lot more fair that 17 and 11, but the 17 and 11 is is legal in all States, right?

Definitely not legal, I'm not sure who told you that.

It is 18 in Florida, but there are exceptions to protect young people who are within a few years of each other.

16 is age of consent for the majority or the world, so shouldn't the question be reversed?

Everyone starts losing spunk at 18

It's a race against time

opopopza posted...

Definitely not legal, I'm not sure who told you that.

Nobody told me that. Then what's the law? How old do you have to be to consent to sex? What's the age difference? Adults can only have sex with adults, and minors can only have sex with minors, right? But 17 is a minor, and so is 10. Which law prevents a 17 year old minor hooking up with a 10 year old minor? There are laws that prevent an 18 year old adult and 17 year old minors, though.

Bad_Mojo posted...

Nobody told me that. Then what's the law? How old do you have to be to consent to sex? What's the age difference? Adults can only have sex with adults, and minors can only have sex with minors, right? But 17 is a minor, and so is 10. Which law prevents a 17 year old minor hooking up with a 10 year old minor? There are laws that prevent an 18 year old adult and 17 year old minors, though.

every state that i am aware of has statutory rape laws. in states where the age of consent is 18 it is still illegal for someone 15 or 16 to have sex with someone considerably younger. it varies by state but would be statutory rape anywhere for a 17/11 or something like that

Bad_Mojo posted...

Nobody told me that. Then what's the law? How old do you have to be to consent to sex? What's the age difference? Adults can only have sex with adults, and minors can only have sex with minors, right? But 17 is a minor, and so is 10. Which law prevents a 17 year old minor hooking up with a 10 year old minor? There are laws that prevent an 18 year old adult and 17 year old minors, though.

In a situation where you find two minors engaging in sex depends on the age and the circumstances. 17 with an 11 year old puts the 17 year old in trouble because their age puts them in a position of power and an understanding of what they're doing. The 11 year old is absolutely still a child and can't legally consent under any circumstances.

Two young children caught in that would have an investigation on the parents and/or whoever may be the aggressor if violence is involved.

You can't buy booze or rent a car until 21 in almost all of the US, or smokes in an increasingly large part of it, but you can be drafted at 18.

26th Amendment was ahead of this.

The fact it's apparently legal to marry a 12 year old..... in America......blows my mind

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Yes.
Judaism has set the age of adulthood at 13 for several thousand years.

In the United States, you don't have full privilege until 35.

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Yes. That's why marriage has had a very low threshold since antiquity - especially so on the female end.

I'd say it's the other way around.

I'm curious of your reasoning

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United States is a Christian theostate that is forbidden to be so, but totally is anyway.
I think we're fighting each-other over things we actually agree on.

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16, with parental consent, in a few states (strangely also California).
Ah. I see your point.

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are you fucking serious?

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how did I miss that?

voldothegr8 posted...

16 is age of consent for the majority or the world, so shouldn't the question be reversed?

Most of the US too. 31/50 states.

15 over here.
BUT, 18 in case of incest.

I always find it interesting that California and Florida, the two biggest party states, still have AoC set at 18.

KStateKing17 posted...

In a situation where you find two minors engaging in sex depends on the age and the circumstances. 17 with an 11 year old puts the 17 year old in trouble because their age puts them in a position of power and an understanding of what they're doing. The 11 year old is absolutely still a child and can't legally consent under any circumstances.

Two young children caught in that would have an investigation on the parents and/or whoever may be the aggressor if violence is involved.

That would be common sense, but I dont see the actual law. I dont think there is one. Thats my point right now until someone can show me a law that says it. Its sicking

Bad_Mojo posted...

That would be common sense, but I dont see the actual law. I dont think there is one. Thats my point right now until someone can show me a law that says it. Its sicking

The laws vary by state. Heres an example of a type of law prohibiting that relationship:
https://www.ageofconsent.net/states/new-jersey
Here it shows that a 17 year old can be with a 14 year old, but no lower.

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Dumbass bible thumpers trying to legislate their morality.

Concreterock2 posted...

The laws vary by state. Heres an example of a type of law prohibiting that relationship:
https://www.ageofconsent.net/states/new-jersey
Here it shows that a 17 year old can be with a 14 year old, but no lower.

Thank you

Glob posted...

I dont think theres anything wrong with it being 16. Plenty of people will be sexually active by then anyway.

At 16 I was living independently of my parents.

because 16 can be exploited by some real scummy people.

I thought it was 16 in Florida as long as other person is under 21 or something idk.

At least 10 years ago it was, i live in Florida.

DD_Divine posted...

because 16 can be exploited by some real scummy people.

Anyone can be exploited by some real scummy people. Why do you believe the age of consent should be exactly the same as the age of majority?

Thats a tag.

DD_Divine posted...

because 16 can be exploited by some real scummy people.

You cant rule out the possibility of exploitation by putting an age limit in place though.

As I said in my previous post, at 16 I was living as an adult. I had the responsibilities of an adult. I deserved the rights of an adult.

Kids in some parts of the country grow up faster than others. The age of consent isn't naturally something that's a universal constant.

I'd argue that the age of consent should be higher in some places though. I think in more urban areas kids do really dumbs*** before graduating college.

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I think back then it was common for 16 year olds(and even younger) to get married. A great aunt of mine that passed away last summer, got married about two or three months before she turned 16. She had already had two children before she was 20.

Glob posted...

You cant rule out the possibility of exploitation by putting an age limit in place though.

As I said in my previous post, at 16 I was living as an adult. I had the responsibilities of an adult. I deserved the rights of an adult.

Youre also a white privileged male. Just because you thought you should bang adults when you were 16 doesnt mean its not disgusting or morally right.

concrete and yourself just earned your tags btw. Concrete jumping on their alt to avoid ridicule.

DarthWendy posted...

15 over here.
BUT, 18 in case of incest.

Where the fuck are you from?

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How the hell did the politicians decided to make a different legal age for incest??

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I didn't once defend the judge. I clearly said the judge was wrong for making an example out of the teen. The judge telling the troubled teen that she was cute and that hanging out with the wrong crowd will get her taken advantage of is just people being bad at reading context. Change your user name and walk away in shame.