What Should The Age Of Consent Be??
 

All in the title!

[img=600x264]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/60/AOCWorldMap.png/800px-AOCWorldMap.png[/img]

i dont know becuase the law says that my boyfriend should be on the sex offenders register becuase i had sex when i was 14 and my boyfriend was 17.But i think this is wrong,its not like he forced me,I WANTED IT.
Its a stupid law but i realise they have to set boundries somewhere along the line

Yes, you should only get arrested if it's rape.

Fifteen.
That way, you can make a definate decision whether you're ready or not, and you don't have to wait until you're sixteen.

but no one is going to listen to the law if its somethingn they really want there not gonna turn round and say oh darn we`ll be braking the law.Whats the point in it anyway nothing happens if you go against it lol

I have friends that have 'done it' in sheds! It just show that no ones ever probably going to be arrested unless reported. It is a bit scary that its legal for 12 year olds to have sex in some countries though.

ive broken the law as far as age goes with sex,smoking and alcohol but i havent turned out any different to those who diddnt,or at least i dont think so.

lol in sheds.teens often do it in odd places,no other option at times is there.Not that ive had sex in a shed before lol

It should be 45

I don't see any countries on that photo that fall in line with the 12+ category/colour?

I personally think it doesn't matter, as people have obviously proven that they'll have sex whenever they like.

However, believe it or not some people are influenced into having sex around the legal age/after the legal age, instead of before...
Which should be considered a good thing, considering the amount of teenage pregnancies and STD's.

One thing I will say is that it shouldn't be lowered.
Say for example 12 year olds think it's ok to have sex [which just makes me plain sick at the thought of little kids that age doing such things.] then people even younger than that will know they're approaching the legal age and start thinking about sex at nine or ten years old. If 14/15 year olds are legally allowed, then more 12/13 year olds will be having sex.

The age of consent doesn't normally effect the individual in the majority of cases, but it does affect the overall statistics for pregnancies/sex/STD's at least slightly.

Perhaps if it was increased to 17/18 [nothing too high, or else people will compeltely disregard the law altogether.] then a few less people would have sex before then and a few lives might be saved, STD's prevented, and unhappy single mothers produced, kids without fathers or kids placed in care etc.

I would say 15. Kids today grow up fast and at 15 they are old enough to have sex. Any younger is pushing the bounderies a bit.

I think it is unlikely to ever be reduced below 16, as too many people would complain. Probably people who should be minding their own business and have empty lives or too much time on their hands or something. Complain, complain, complain about what innocent people wish to get up to in their own private lives. Perhaps thats what big brother theory is all about? Looking nosily into peoples lives and actually making problems instead of solving problems.

Many 15 year olds have sex with 17/18 year olds anyhow. It is sad when they end up being charged over it. But the law is there to protect, so they say:rolleyes:

Protect from what exactly?

A political decision made by politicians who probably broke that law in the first place - in secret. That sounds about right:rolleyes:

I say 16 is fine as it is.

I voted for 16 but I'm not conviced anyway.
This law exists just in order to definite paedophilia, nothing else. If you have sex under, you won't be arrested that's ridiculous, unless you shout is front of a policeman lol
The best age is when you are ready of course.

I also need to point out that specific grey area, such as a 15 year old boy having sex with a 15 year old girl. It is illegal to have sex at 15 but believe me when I say, nobody would get prosecuted in that example.

Your comment :'The best age is when you are ready of course.' Is exactly what happens. Law or no law, somewhere in the world many will be having sex right now - illegally.

Lowering the age wouldn't make any remote difference to anyone...
Besides possibly resulting in more people having sex, especially the one's who stick to the law strictly or are influenced by the legal age.

Lowering for the individual means nothing.
Lowering to fifteen for the nation = more sex = more pregnancies = more abortions = more STD's.

So overall it seems like a negative thing.
People should have sex if and when they feel it is right, and they will usually do so. Im just speaking from the outlook on the laws affect on the country [which is what it's designed for.]

I don't think that everyone would agree that lowering the age to 15 would be that bad. Many girls and boys who are at school and feel the need to suddenly have sex behind the bike-shed would welcome that. Of course many 14 & 13 year olds would do the same, as they fall into that same grey area as I mentioned above. So the law wouldn't matter to them.

But if a 70 year old man and a 16 year old school girl fall's in love and have sex constantly, that is not illegal or even paedophelic legally. But if the law was changed and it was reduced to 15, then it would be felt from many that it is rather disgusting. I don't know really the ideal answer to all of this. I guess it is just parents and other people sticking their unwanted noses where it is not wanted. Everyone has their own lives to lead and their own choices to make. Who gives the right for someone to dictate what someone should and shouldn't do in the privacy of your own home if it is legally okay. Busybodies - that's who.

I don't think there would be more pregnancies. I think there would be more sex-education at school and teaching children about the hazards of getting pregnant so early on. 'A condom machine in the coridoor of the school' - can you see that? Anything is indeed possible in the future.

Well of course, as I said...it wouldn't be bad for the individual. They simply don't care either way, if they want to have sex behind the bike sheds they'll do so regardless. Which is why the age limit really doesn't matter if we're going to focus on the individuals opinion.

Which is why a lot of people are saying "who cares, we'll have sex when we want, everyone should stop judging and get out of our lives" or something to that effect.

If we're going to focus on the nation however, all those people who stick to the rules [of which there are some.] and do decide to wait until sixteen before sex, will now only be waiting until fifteen.

So a whole extra years worth of law abiding people who wait until after the age of consent will be added to the total amount of teenagers having sex. Which will contribute to more sex, which will contribute to more pregnancies and many other negative sex related things.

You've got to remember that not everyone has a "don't stick your nose in, i'll have sex when I want" attitude, and not everyone thinks as you or others might do. Some people really do prefer to wait until the legal age, for their own personal reasons. Hence a lower legal age meaning more sex/pregnancies/abortions/STD's in my eyes.

Who the hell voted for 12? THe majority of 12 year olds havent hit puberty yet !

Really? I've never seen an example of that. :shocked: I know of the "If you look under 21 you need ID" policy...but are there cases where you HAVE to be 21 to buy it? :conf2:

Good overall post though, the consenting ages are all very complicated and some are a bit ridiculous.

Such as - you can have sex and make a pornography tape at 16, but can't watch it until you're 18. :laugh2:

Yes but sometimes it's 21 in some US States. :thumbs:

15 y-o in order to have sex.
16 y-o in order to buy cigarets and alcohol.
16 y-o and a month in order to go in bars and nightclubs.
18 y-o in order to have a car and everything else.

I visited my local Spar and was told they serve over 21's only, and wasn't actually allowed to purchase any alcohol.

Whereas the Spar five minutes walk up the road, served people who were over 18.

The legal age to purchase alcohol is 18, both shops were of the same company, but both shops had two completely different legal alcohol purchasing ages.

Whether that's allowed, im not sure.
The reason behind it, im not sure.
But it happened none the less.

It's technically classed as rape if someone is considered too young to make a mature decision. I mean what if an 8 year old girl for example decided that she wanted to have se with someone? She almost certainly would not realise what was involved, and is clearly not old enough to make the decision for herself - but you're saying that unless she was made to have sex against her will, the man who had sex with her should not be arrested? That is why there has to be an age of consent.

Ruth, off-topic I know, but what's the name of the man in your signature? I know his surname is Hicks...I think...and he was a stand-up comedian right?

Hiya Shaun - yes, it's Bill Hicks, who is a comedic genius! And spoke so much truth in his shows. Sadly he died of pancreatic cancer in 1994, aged 32.