Do you support a law explicitly stating: It is illegal for someone aged 18 or older to have sexual intercourse with someone younger than the age of 18?

I think it really depends on the ages of the two people involved, and whether or not there was mutual consent. I think such a law would be very difficult to enforce.

No I wouldn't support such a law if it meant an 18 year old would go to jail for having sex with someone who was 17 years old. We used to have a law in Oregon like this, but it has changed, but too late for an acquaintance of mine. He was 19 and she was 17. Her mother disliked him, so she filed statutory rape charges against this young man, he was sent to prison and when he was released, forced to attend sex offender rehabilitation classes and register as a convicted sex offender. He was treated on the same level as someone who forcibly raped or sexually abused another person! Only in the past few years have we had a law in place in Oregon to charge a women with statutory rape. I also concur with what juliw said in her comment. It depends on the age on the younger partner and whether there was mutual consent. In Oregon the law doesn't prosecute unless the younger partner is less than 16 years old.

Other. Quoting Aaliyah (has anybody heard her new record yet? It rocks!), "Age ain't nothing but a number". There is a pretty fine line between what people may consider statutory rape and consensual sex, and this is a hard subject. These are words from a person under 18 who has had (always consensual) relationships with people over 18. Everyone should have a right to seek the pursuit of happiness, and as long as there is always a way to appeal to the court about rape, I support a law that says it is legal for someone aged 18 or older to have sex with someone younger than the age of 18.

No, because I like young bois!

Perhaps a 4 year difference might be suitable at that age. That way highschool sweethearts won't be breaking a law when one of them reaches 18. I've never heard of statutory rape being enforced; Has anyone? It seems like it's in place as recourse for parents who don't really don't like their potential step-child.

That seems a bit silly. I'm not sure what the exact laws are around here, but I think it is a more sensible reference to the age difference regarding teenagers. A factor for positions of authority (employers, teachers etc.) is worked into it as well.

No. What if the older person is actually only a few months older than the younger one? Besides, I don't think we should try to legislate morality. I think it's bad when someone much older takes advantage of a teenager. Like when a thirty-five year old man is dating a teenage girl. I find it hard to believe that could result in a lasting relationship. But it should be up to the parents of the teenager to teach them better.

I would support the same law if it was for an over 18 year old having intercourse with someone younger than 16. I think there should be a line drawn somewhere, and even though it's difficult to draw the line, I think that I was not able to make good decisions about this when I was 15, but may have been able to at 16.
To add: I think it's unlikely that such a law would be something that people would enforce, and I don't know if it would ever be needed for something that's not covered by a rape charge. I do think it might be needed for (say) a 13 year old to charge a (say) 21 year old if they realised that they had been coerced. Maybe that wouldn't be covered by rape.
It's tricky.

no, because if you are 18 or 19 and are with someone who is 17 or 16, it is different then being 28 or 40 and with someone 16 or 17.

You bet!

Oo-oo-oo. This survey is gonna get nasty.

I participated in a debate once about the age of beginning sexual activity and the contributions of older folks to the "end of innocence". Wow, that discussion got heated quickly.

Having lived in various cultures where sexual activity begins at earlier ages than is the "norm" or "legal age" of the USA, my acceptance of such things has been tempered.

All would agree that sexual exploitation of the very young by older persons is not in the best interest of any nation. (I won't even go into the religious aspects.)

However, what passes for coming age in the USA (18 years old) is already full adulthood in other lands. Including sexual activity and parenthood for motives of building a family which builds the wealth of a tribe or group.

I had a friend in Cameroon, Africa who was the long awaited king of his tribe. (There had been several generations of females.) As part of his royal duties, he was expected to take several wives and produce offspring as quickly as possible (principally a male heir). Of his six wives, four were under sixteen.

Applying one's morals to another nation is difficult.

You're applying local cultural norms (which is correct for the society you live in), however, you would be surprised how often large age differences between sexual partners actually occurs world-wide.

Please see my general comment above. My friend Gahlia was in his thirty's and most of his wives were in their teens.

I like your solution: It is up to each family to establish its norms.

It is difficult with so much sexually oriented literature, television, movies, advertisements to set and teach the appropriate behaviors to our children...or to adults for that matter.

There will always be exploiters of the young. Unfortunately, arbitrary markers (such as age) must be established to control, not the youth, but the older members of society.

Those markers will vary from society to society.

No. I'm 15 and my boyfriend is 17. In a year, I will be sixteen and he'll be eighteen. I don't see what's wrong with that.

Ummm... thats a problematic phrasing. I agree with the concept, but you need to dust it up a little. I absolutely hate it when 19/20 year old males are trying to get with 14/15/16/17 year old girls, and I understand EXACTLY why it is illegal in most states. I've seen what kind of advantage 1 year of age (when you are in the 13-16 range) can give you in a sexual relationship... 2-5 years, as seems to be common, is absolutely an insane distribution of power.

By the time an AVERAGE male has reached 19 or 20, he has a LOT to offer a cute 14/15 year old girl whom otherwise wouldn't have found him to be very attractive. He has a car, an apartment, a job ($$$), he is older so she gets an ego boost...
And in reality he is probably a total fudging loser or else he would go chase down some 20 year old girl. There is SOMETHING seriously wrong with him, this was demonstrated by the fact that he got into a relationship with a 14/15 year old.
But from the eyes of the 14/15 year old, he is 'older, charming, rich, nice, sexy... (And he does so much for me)'.
In exchange, of course, he expects sex. Thats called taking advantage of someone weaker than you in their time of emotional insecurity and sexual naivety. (Or, 'rape' for short.).
There is of course no law against NON-SEXUAL relationships (and this would probably allow for everything escept oral sex and sex in most courtrooms) between relatively young people of different ages, and if he ACTUALLY CARES about this naive little girl's emotional well being, he can fudging wait until she is a little older and stop robbing the god-damn cradle.
And allow me to assure you, 90% of the time, that girl is going to be experiencing some serious emotional suffering over that relationship, and it isn't going to go away for a LONG time if that relationship is sexual.
If he really cares about her, he isn't going to make her hurt like that.
So, effectively, all the law does, is prevent older guys from 'hunting for sport' and trying to blow their load inside of some 14 year old. I'd even risk wagering that they are a little fudging sadistic in nature and are going to enjoy the physical and emotional pain this is likely to cause her. (my apologies for the phrasing, but thats the way it is).
Then again, I guess this is a touchy issue for me.

yep, I shore doo

I do.

I agree 100%. Even with the part about having sex in the courtrooms

Regardless of what you think of the sentiment, this is a dumb law. Should I have had to stop having sex with my high school girlfriend (and then a couple of months later been allowed to start again) because we weren't born on exactly the same day? Don't be daft.

No. I believe 16 should be the youngest anyone should legally be permitted to have sex. The same question could be asked of people older and younger than 28, or 38. If the person is legally of age to have sex, then it shouldn't matter if a 16 yo has sex with a 116 yo.

and that may be considered fine for that part of the world but the question asked ME if i would support a law(and i think that would be something for my country or my area of this country. the question doesn't say i am imposing this ON another country!). and no i wouldn't be surprised at the age differences worldwide or even in areas of this country but i was answering the question asked of me! another point, the question asked about sexual intercourse alone, not marriage........ it would have a different choice for ages as far as marriage was concerned as well.

Hmmm...sorry. I read more into the question than was there.

It can't be that black and white. That might preclude two people in the same school grade from having sex. Not promoting 18 year olds having sex, but it's gonna happen and no one's life should be ruined by it. But if your talking about an 18 year old and a 13 year old, it's a different story. So it can't be that straight up and down.

This is always a very sensitive issue. It depends alot on one's personal opinion or experience when young adults can/should become sexually active and with whom.

I have never seen any general agreement on that. But I have seen very heated debate.

Your own response shows how emotional this issue is for you. That's good. I'm sure you will teach your children well. Thanks for sharing.

Very interesting, confetti. I don't know the ages of the other folks here, but I deduce from the comments most are over 18.

Your perspective here is unique in that you are younger.

Let me rephrase the survey question asked: "At what age should young adults have the ability to determine their participation in consensual sex?"

That's better. I think if adults would make teens feel more appreciated and respected they would be less driven to be rebellious.
Thank you for the compliment, although sometimes I feel kind of dumb around some of the older users.

You're only 14. Do you even have titts yet? The thought of you being fudgeed by a 25 y/o guy such as me really turns me on!

You know,teen agers are going to do it anyway.Especially if they THINK their in love.

You have no B*#S!! If you gotta sign it anonymous!!

This is why I think Bill should get rid of the anonymous option, folks.

hehehehehehe
titts......
hehehehehehe
learn to spell

I think the sarcasm will be lost.

Your opinion is very important, because you see the world from a fresher viewpoint without all the emotional baggage that comes from too much experience.

My three sons (10, 6 and 5) are constantly teaching me new ways to perceive. A 21st century perspective, which I, being over 50, will never fully achieve.

Keep talking at us old farts, confetti, until we finally get the message. (There's an old song which contains the words "Teach your parents well". Sometimes we forget when that was our generation's anthem.)

Thanks.

However, you still didn't answer the question: when? Your opinoin, please.

Hey, fella, go get some real help before you end up in prison, where the big boys will be all over yer @ss.

Or worse, shot by a protective parent.

'Cause you ain't gonna get any sympathy for your attitude around here, I guaran-damn-tee it.

You are certain right about that.

I don't use a whole lotta four letters words, but in anonymous' case, I'll make an exception: What an @sshole!

"Think they're in love"...happens to the best of us even beyond the teen years.

A friend and father of 4 girls has always told me:
"A brain cell doesn't stand a chance against a hormone."
Regardless of age, I might add.

When? Well, although I felt like I was physically and emotionally mature enough at 13, I consider, judging from the other kids I've known, that the best age would be at 15. Although I am pretty liberal about this, considering, I do draw the line on what I think is permittable. A 17-year-old girl is currently Hugh Hefner's sex partner. Her parents have given her consent. Hearing this literally made my hair stand on end!

Your friends comment isn't always true.

Every body is butt-holes, all of you! Your probably thinking just what I wrote to her.

Are you serious about being over 50? I could have sworn in a past survey you said something that made me think you were in your 30s. Heck, maybe you're older than me after all. Ha!

#2

except...when I think...I spell all my words correctly and form perfect sentences in my head.....dipwad

lol lol lol I like that!! You come up some of the funniest stuff Brian,I swear!! Sienfeld has nothing on you dude!!You would blow him away....

No wonder you use the anonymous feature,you can't speak OR spell correctly.......Must have been your dead brain cells talking huh?Minds a terrible thing to waste.Probably took you a long time to type it out too,huh? Brain overload,brain overload!!!
You can't be as old as you say you are(25),cause you can't even form sentence correctly.Even a 12 year old can form a sentence correctly & spell too.

What????? Didn't have enough time to responed to EVERYONE here individualy?? Or would it have taken you too long to use spell check??
Maybe you just can't spell,type,& think at the same time??

Don't burn out that one last brain cell you have left,your gonna need it,to converse with the people,in your everyday mundane,warped life.

Mine, too. Particularly since it is obvious Hefner is not looking for a serious long term partner.

Something's not right here. That situation reeks of "financial benefits" somewhere to someone (not entirely unlike Mike Jackson and his little boy friends). Money for sex is called prostitution, which to the best of knowledge is still illegal in most of the USA.

"Parental consent", my backside.

Yes, you are right. My friend's comment is not always correct He says it as half joke/half serious.

Yeah, but that's not my joke. I won't try to take credit for it. My buddy Charlie is a funny, oft times sarcastic, fellow. Most of his "observations" can't be repeated in a family forum.

Yes, Ms. SueBee, I am over 50 (chronologically...ahh...mentally and physically are other matters that we won't go into!)

I have never claimed to be less. My standing running self-abasement gag is: "I'm a short, fat, middle-aged, white man, Gee, ain't that a peachy lifestyle?"

I don't know who you are. But please allow me to repeat my original comment in a more serious and concerned manner. I thank you in advance for reading what I have to say below.

I understand you have this "turn on", "fantasy", whatever.

However, it is one which could lead you into great trouble because of society's concerns over sexual exploitation of the young.

It is highly recommendable that you examine the basis for your feelings with the help of a professional.

If you act on such feelings, you will probably be in violation of both society's norms and laws. They are controllable.

I would not like to learn that something tragic has happened because you behaved inappropriately.

This is about the gentlest and kindest way I can pass to you some parental guidance.

Yes, you can tell me to "piss off", "butt out", whatever. But please consider what I am counseling you. It is given with care and concern for YOUR safety and well being.

I am sorry my initial reaction was knee-jerk. You deserve a more appropriate response.

Probably no one here is thinking that. And if they are, at least they show civil respect by not making mention of it. Unbridled lust without any form of love, respect, or social conscience is nearly as dangerous as sociopathy that leads to murder. There are probably biological reasons for the specific age differential attraction you specify, but again, in this modern society such things are not brought up because they serve no one. If your prurient/romantic interests extend to pre-pubescent girls, then I suggest that you have some wires inappropriately crossed which should be recognized as faulty and in need of self-monitoring, rather than allowed to recklessly usurp your conscience. Life would feel much more wholesome if you could acknowledge that you have such primordial thoughts but don't give them a moments empowerment. I'd rather see you appreciating a voluptuous mature wife that encourages your best, rather than living alone with internet porn while wearing a rubber trenchcoat. ok?

I know. Her folks definitely win the 'crappy parents' award. The kid just needs the dough, probably. Even if I were really hard up it would take a lot of thinking before I subjected myself to the yuckiness of sleeping with a 74-year-old man. He probably wouldn't want this little non-blonde, though. butt-hole!

I hope you stay away from this website, because reading comments such as yours has a pretty nasty aftertaste. I think Kristal_Rose and Brian's advice is articulate and well thought-out, so I needn't say anything more.

Oh well. I guess I don't remember all these things about everyone here as well as I thought I did. Now I'll have to think of you as my big brother instead of my little brother!

(pouting) You only think of me as your brother? (blubbering)

Ya know, KR, together we might make a pretty good set of parents.
(Although our children might not appreciate it.)

I think of myself as SC's counsellor/guru/mother hen. You're welcome to be the dad. We'll call you Baba Ram Brian. I do want to be a mother (besides my existing two kids stolen away to Alaska). I'm working on getting a teaching degree. It'll be to late to get my own kids back before they reach college, but there's still a bit of resentment that my ex and bro don't consider a gender changer a fit parent. Did you see the photo of Dabprovin and me?

Where in Alaska are they?

Fairbanks

Oooooooohhh! I still think your funny....Not unless you haven't been using your own material here,all this time to make me laugh.

What if the boyfriend is 18 and the girlfriend is 17? It's their personal decision whether or not they want to have sex. Who's business is it besides theirs anyway?

I suppose you want me to think of you as my big hot daddy sex slave or something?

i think that the law should exist because people do stupid things somtimes...but the law that says that they cant even date...thats stupid

Where us there a law like that? I've never heard of it.

The fact is that there are plenty of 18 year olds having sex with 15 year olds. I think that if someone has reached pueberty and is willing to accept responsibility and act in a reasonable manner, why not let them have sex? They're going to do it anyway, probably more so if it is "forbidden" - why can't we recognize people's natures and have laws that make sense?

Now wait just a darn minute! Okay, I am an idiot, but for better or worse I make up my own jokes. So there!

If I use someone else's line, I will tell you so.

BTW: Thank you for your support. I deduce your appreciation of my sense of humor denotes a very sick mind. Get help as soon as possible.

Hmmm...that seems to have become the focus of most of the interchanges: that is to say, those cases where the ages are close.

The survey question is support of a law establishing 18 years of age to be the "cut-off" point for "youngster"/"oldster" sexual relationships. (Conspicuously absent is the accompanying punishment for transgression.)

So, what is your opinion? Would you support such a law?

Worthy of an independent survey question is "Should persons under the age of 18 participate in sexual activity at all?"

Yes, I did see the picture of you and dabprovin, but I forget in which survey. If I might add, two lovely and impishly endearing women. Exactly what mischief were you two up to at that moment?

"Baba Ram Brian"? Thank you, no thank you. Unless of course, "Baba Ram" means incredibly good-looking, studly type person, who possesses the wisdom of Solomon and the bathroom humor of Jim Carrey.

Hmm...that does have a nice ring to it.
(parading naked in front of mirror)

When we both stop laughing, we can arrive at something less controversial.

Like, "he who leaves you breathless", which just might be your condition after laughing too hard.

lol lol lol
Geeze,Brian I don't think you have a sick mind.Maybe we just think alike.....Nah.

Well now that I have your attention,let me ask you this.Would you like to receive your name,sculpted in styro foam in your favorite color? I have offered it to a number of cool SC users here.Who have taken me up on this FREE offer.Well,let me know,okay?Aloha !! Cleo

& for the record,your humor is far more superior than Jim anyday.& that ain't no suck up either!I don't really care for Jim.I prefer Biily Crystal,& I find your humor more like his.

Stop parading of your manhood in front of the mirror.Some of us love ya for your mind!

LOL You do often leave me breathless after bouts of laughter. For that I thank you!

I accept your kind offer of my name sculpted in styro foam. You choose the color. Now the problem is how to get it to Brazil. Most of my imports are detained and rigorously searched on general principle (and the fact that I don't pay bribes). Normal clearing time...a week after the expiration date of whatever is being imported. What is the expiration date of styro foam?

My favorite Billy Crystal line isn't. Crystal wrote (but did not speak)the famous line from When Harry Met Sally: "I'll have whatever she's having".

As for my parading, in a spirit of compromise: I'll be brief.

Speaking of my mind: we have a running joke we apply to the increasingly complicated management of trash and compliance with the mountainous environmental laws of Brazil: "Waste is a terrible thing to mind."

Thanks. Nice to know I haven't lost my touch.

lol lol lol.My gosh,what time is it in Brazil?? The sun is barely coming up.It's 6:30mhere in Cali.

Excuse me?? Styro foam? Expiration date?? I know you jest.
Geeze those Brazil laws surer take the fun out of everything,except Mardi G.
Like I would try to send you dope? Doesn't the drugs come from down south? Not the opposite way!
Darn,I've already got your name sculpted & painted. Oh well......

It is 10:44 AM and I should be working on Change Orders today, but I am being a bit lazy. Besides, I got the staff doing the leg work.

Ahhh...there are enough "dopes" around here already, thank you very much.

Yeah, there is unfortunately a lot of drug smuggling up north. I am way down south near Uruguay and Argentina. The impact of the US government being on top of Columbia in the 1980's and 1990's was to send the drugs out via Brazil. Thank you US government for creating a drug smuggling infrastructure in Brazil. But it's too nice a day to go into it.

Yeah,your right!Let's not ruin a nice hot sunny day,with such trivial things.
Today is going to be in the triple digits,& muggy!!! Yuck.....Your lucky your not here.

I agree. Anyone who has sex under the age of 18 or before marriage should also be breaking the law. It's immoral.

#4: We're not in the Middle Ages anymore in case you hadn't noticed.

They were a lot more open-minded in the Middle Ages! It's the 19th Century that's knocked us back....

i think the law is needed to stop pedophiles but there some cases where this law is misused like in statutory rape cases where a guy whose 18 gets charged with rape cause he had sex with a 17 year old..lets be real here.

I think the law here in the UK is fine. At 16 I was mature enough to handle the emotions involved, as were most of my friends.

Hell no.

God No!! Do you really want to forbid someone who's 17 of having sex with someone just an year older? Silly and crazy.A good law must be like "if one of the partners is under 18, no more than 5 years of difference between partners".So if you're 13 you could have sex with someone aged 18.And if you think that 13 is too young to have sex then you are stupid.

Not here, sweetie.

Really? I thought Victorian England principles were pretty widespread. I guess that's why you're so far ahead of tyhe rest of us!

We have always had a lot of refugees entering our country, because of religious and political reasons. Thanks to them the 17th century in Holland is called 'the Golden Century'. It was the time Holland conquered the world. The best scientists came to Holland because they weren't save in their own countries. We beat the Spanish Armada and had a lot of overseas colonies. Indonesia was Dutch. The Dutch went to South-Africa (Afrikaans is very familiar to Dutch). New York was Dutch. Close to Wall Street is Nassau Street. Nassau is the name of our royal family, etc., etc.

Wow, I had no idea! I have a friend who lives in South Africa and he is partly of Dutch descent.

Absolutely not. That would limit my options!

The bottom line is that the origin of sex laws in this country (apart from ones dealing with exhibitionism, animal abuse, young children and rape) is old scared impotent white men who fear women's sexuality. In my state (VA)it's illegal for two adult married people to engage in any sex except the missionary position. Oral sex is illegal, even between married couples (and before anyone says oh those are old laws hanging around on the books they don't follow anymore, the legislature in Richmond this year voted to KEEP the law when it came up for vote!!) These insane puritanical infringements on our personal freedoms and happiness have simply got to be stopped. Yes, keep statutory rape laws concerning girls 12 and under on the books. Yes, keep rape laws in place. But when dealing with teen age sex (13-15) we need to give discretion back to the JUDGES, instead of having set in stone legislation that requires judges to follow it to the letter no matter what. Mandatory sentencing DOES NOT help anybody, it only causes heartbreak. There is a case that just came up where a 16 yr old is now a registered sex offender, and his whole life has been destroyed, because he touched a 15 yr old girl's boob. Don't believe me? Here's the story:

http://www.freep.com/news/locoak/boys15_20011015.htm

Even more shocking, prosecutor Cheryl Matthews thinks that an 18 yr old male having sex with his 15 yr old girlfriend is somehow a future indication that he will grow up to be a pedophile! (read near end of article). It's funny how common sense just flies out the window when one gets in their head that they are superman (or woman) and are going to clean up the world based on their own vision of puritanical morality.

As for laws, make the age of consent 16 yrs old in EVERY state, just like in England. There is an age where a person must be considered an adult, responsible for his or her own actions. 16 is a good age for that. Yes we have a teen pregnancy problem (which has actually been going DOWN in the last couple of years) in this country, but you don't solve social problems by destroying personal rights to liberty and happiness. If we are going to jail 18 yr old guys for having sex with their 17 yr old girlfriends we might as well just all kill ourselves because what point is living if we can't be free and happy in society to live our lives without government interference. If we are going to try 16 and 17 yr olds under adult laws, letting them possibly face the death penalty, then we need to give those same 16 and 17 yr olds the sexual freedoms that come with being an adult. The age of the sexual partner is irrelevant, whether 18 or 45 (but allowing that a person in position of authority over the teen such as teacher, coach, minister, etc. should still be allowed to prosecuted), what is relevant is do we consider a 16 and 17 yr old a rational adult responsible for his/her own decisions. Anyone with common sense would agree that we should.

It's 16 here i think.

Hey if want it and they want. Tell them come and get it.

All nonmarital sex should be illegal.

"It can't be that straight up and down"? I hope you're not talking sexual styles!

Should you have to ask a young person for I.D.?

I was not 18 yet when I lost it, I regret it and now that I am older (not much, but enough) I so think is wrong solely because when most people are that young they have all the parties and popular guys/gals to score with so they can be that much higher on the popularity ladder. Teen years are tough enough as it is.

Absolutely not.

If nonmarital sex was illegal, I don't know if I'd want to live anymore. Sex does not necessarily require love, love does not require marriage, nor does marriage mean love (or sex).

NO IT SHOULD BE 16..I HAD SEX WITH 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS ABOUT 10 TIMES FROM AGE 18 AND 19..

It would depend on what the age of the younger person was. I wouldn't object to someone who was a few years younger, but anytone younger than 15, I'd object to.