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Age of Consent - too high, too low, just right?

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Ethel | 15:35 Sat 02nd May 2009 | Society & Culture
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The Coronation Street story line has got me thinking about this. (For those who don't watch a major character's father fathered a child 30 years ago with his daughter's 14 year old best friend).

The thought of children being sexually active is appalling and emotive and I really think children in the UK are sexualised at far too young an age - many 7 year olds are conscious of their body, their image and the opposite sex.
On the other hand, many young adults seem to be treated as children far too long - have no real responsibility for themselves or others until well in to their 20s.

Some young adults seem very mature physically and emotionally and this is recognised in some other countries. The age of consent in Spain, for example, is 13 (not long ago it was 12); Austria and Germany is 14; Denmark and France is 15.

Personally I would like it to be 24 but this is a bit unrealistic. What do others think, especially parents.
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Is it true that in the USA it is 18?
whats the point in being able to do it when your 16 if people look down on you if you get pregnant and have a baby before your 17?

if people think your not old enough, mature enough, financialy and mentally strong enough to look after a baby at that age why are people allowed to have one? so if thats what the government think then they should higher the age of consent.

p.s. i'm 1 5 and come from one of the highest teenage prganancy areas in engand!
hey you cant buy fags or alchahol till your 18 but you can make babies at 16 and potentially contract aids you cant drive a car until 17 but can create a human life a year before the uk ****** up or what?
etehl the age of consent for spain you give is wrong and is also between children of the same age
similar to the uk where they are breaking the law if they are both under 16 and have sex.you have posted on this subject before and i believe barmaid corrected you on the fact under 16s are rarely taken to court if ever.

sadly its the parents and primarily the mothers to blame.a 1o year old girl in wales burnt on a tanning bed?
what next a tattooo and piercings then drink and driven to niteclubs at 14 ?

theres the root of the problem.


age of 24 is preposterous

considering in the uk you could marry 12 year olds i believe until 1928

which is less than 80 years ago.

the lwas there .i say leave it as it is .


but parents should stop making their kids into grown ups or stop them from trying to be grownups.


the root of the problem is at home not the law.
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Regarding America - it depends which state you are in. It ranges between 15 and 18.

zzxxee - sexual intercourse is a perfectly natural activity. Drinking booze, smoking and driving isn't.
zzxxe how old are ya ?
ethel in some us states you can still marry at 14 i believe.

would they then be breaking the law to consummate the marraige ?


well is the age too high now.....I think (but please correct me if I'm wrong) that until the 1920's you could actually marry in this country if a girl was 12 and a boy 14.....
until 1928 cfart
ive said this to ethel before
i think she as she has stated has a problem with the legal age.

its the law
lets worry about enforcing it rather than moaning about it.

and you can get married in usa at 13
Historically when girls and boys reached puberty they were ready for the deed. These days an age of conscent is put on it but then again some boys and girls do not reach puberty until after 16.

The law doesn't make any difference though as young girls and boys seem to be active at a very young age. Look at Alfie Patten. He looks like a child yet he has fathered a baby. Very scary.
strangely in some states in the us they will let pregnant girls marry at 14 when the age of consent is 16 or 18.
i asssume that then means the child isnt illegitemate and not in a single parent family.


the uks problem isnt the age of consent its the lack of contraception.

highest in europe fro sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies.amongst teenagers not like the corrie story which is after all just a tv story and in my opinion a bit far fetched.
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Legend - the age of consent in Spain is 13, without a doubt, for heterosexuals and homosexuals - it was raised from 12 in 1999.

See this year's discussion in Tenerife News.
http://www.tenerifenews.com/cms/index.php?Item id=161&catid=43:world-news&id=10879:spain-sex- in-spain-is-13-just-too-young&option=com_conte nt&view=article

But if deceit is used in getting consent from an under 16, then it can be investigated if the parent complains.

agreed leggy...............I don't think the age of consent is too low.....I married virtually straight out of school at 16, had my daughter at 21, and although we divorced we stayed married for 19 years which wasn't bad.....
yes ethel a perfectley natural activity when you are emotionally mature enough to handle the raw emotions that come with it... However i think at 16 most young people are still developeing in body and mind and sex is the most intense emotion you can experirnce and in my opinion it is to young
why do you want to know how old am i legend?
experience
Question Author
America is complicated, for example:
The age of consent in New Jersey is 16. However, minors aged 13, 14 and 15 may legally engage in sexual activities with persons up to 4 years older than them. For example, it is lawful for a 14-year-old male or female to engage in sex with a person up to 18 years of age. This also applies for 13-year-olds (up to 17), etc.
The new norm elevates of 12 to 13 years the age so that the sexual relations are considered as allowed and the consent of the minors of 15 years with respect to the sexual relations with mayores of 18 years is not considered valid either.


under 18s can ahve sex and it wont necessarily be treated as illegal ethel thats what i meant.

as for tenerife im unsure as to the law as an autonomus state with a seperate government , well actually 2 in the canaries ..the cabildo in sanat cruz de tenerofe and lapalma in gran canaria im unsure which laws are the same

i do know that homosexy=-ual marraige is legal here and in spain i believe its a civil partnership.but here a marraige so there are legal differences like scotland and england



all this is beside the point as the problem in the uk is underage sex between underage participants and raising the age will just increase the amount of offenders without adressing the problem ata lll.

to raise it to 24 youd have to have a police convoy outside most night clubs as most folk over 18 and under 24 are without doubt sexually active so 24 is a rather stupid idea
etehl barmaid told you thats the same in the uk

fgs


the crown rarely if ever prosecutes a15 year old for sex with a 15 year old even if the parents want to i believe thats what barmaid said.

the act is seen as underage sex but to prosecute the 15 year old would be classed as a sex offender .

and they reckon a great deal of people noe in their 50s and 60s would technically be classed as sex offenders as they had sexual experience before 16
zzxxe how old are you ?
36 why?

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