Do You Agree With the Age of Consent in Your Country?

Age of consent is like marijuana laws, they can be ignored provided you're not stupid about it.

I thought the United States laws of consent varied by state?

I don't think you understand Age of Consent in America

@lostrib: Isn't it 18 for the vast majority of American states?

Age of consent should be 16. If you're old enough to get a damn driver's license, you're old enough to consent for sex.

@thegerg: Oh well. The question still stands.

Age of consent is 16 in 30 states

Sixteen is reasonable for me.

People will have sex when they want to have sex. I understand the argument about immaturity regarding those under a certain age while having sex with someone older than a certain age, and have a personal, emotional issue with the idea of my potential offspring (of either sex, not just girls) having sex with someone much older than them (>10 years) while still technically children (and the idea of them being preyed upon sexually)... but really, what does it amount to?

A 19 year-old male has sex with his 15 year-old girlfriend. In the eyes of the law where I live, this would be considered statutory rape and be punishable by criminal charges and imprisonment. In the US, the punishments are even more severe (and life-ruining, despite actual, literal consent being given). A 24 year-old male has sex with his 20 year-old girlfriend and it's perfectly legal.

Now, I reiterate, I recognize the importance of the maturity argument, but really, that same 15 year-old girl can legally choose to have sex with her 15, 16, 17, 14, 13, etc year-old boyfriend, and not involve the law at all. She has the right to choose to have sex with a fellow teenager, but not a legal adult? What sense does this make? To me, it makes none. It seems to presume that any man over the age of 18 is involving himself in a relationship with this girl solely for the purpose of taking advantage of her, or is preying upon her sexually.

The line drawing seems quite arbitrary, especially considering it varies between 13 and 18 years of age around the world. That is a MASSIVE difference in terms of sexual, mental and emotional maturity for both boys and girls.

"It feels like the right age" is not sufficient for a law.

It does.

It's 16 in my state, and I think that's pedophilia. If you're 18+ and all you can get is high school/middle school girls you just suck at life.

16 year olds are not children.

Ephebophilia is a more fitting term.

I would agree with having the age of consent at 18.

Age doesn't automatically constitute being an "adult", hell I've seen grown women look like middle school children, and I've seen high school kids look like grown women.

When I label someone a pedophile I'm referring to their attractiveness to an underdeveloped individual; one with the body/physical characteristics of a child.

True talk- most 16 year olds are not physically developed as an adult.

I understand that they needs laws about this, but it seriously baffles me how people even go as far as to call an 18 years old teenager a "pedophile" for having sex with a 16 years old girl.

Seriously, laws=/=culture. If the guy is 17 and the girl is 15, it's all good, if he is 18 and she is 16, the guy is a damn pedo.

I remember when I said in GS that I had seen a cute 15 years old girl, people would have hung me and thrown me in jail for being a "pedophile" if they could have...

"Age of Consent" laws constitute reprehensible discrimination against teleiophilic children. :(

The law and psychology labels pedophilia as the sexual attraction to pre-pubescent children. Hebephilia is the sexual attraction to peri-pubscent children. Ephebephilia is the sexual attraction to post-pubescent children.

There are many legal adults who do not fully develop physically until after the age of 18. And with girls starting their menstrual cycle as early as 8-9 and developing physically well before 18, your argument doesn't hold much water.

Even so, pedophile is not the correct term. Pedophilia refers to attraction to prepubescent individuals.

Most 16 year olds are at least developed to look like they didn't just come off sucking mommy's titties.

And a lot of 16 year olds are very developed physically, some even more so than some adults.

I've noticed a lot recently, the average bust size among most high school girls has gone up significantly since I was in high school. Unless of course they've created new bra technology my generation doesn't know about.

probably both.

If anything I think it should be higher.

Young people are simple shit at making decisions.

16 is great! I honestly would bang these girls if it I know no one would find out. While its perfectly legal being in your mid 20's is not accepted really.

Women are only starting their menstrual cycle early this generation is due to obesity.

Women can't have a menstrual cycle if their bodyfat is substantially low. Those children aren't physically developed they're just manipulating their endocrine system because they're fat. They lose weight their menstrual cycle will almost completely go away.

Hell, males can breast feed at the age of 10 if they have gynocomastia - that doesn't make them a grown women.

*Oh and I used the word pedophile and child molester interchangeable in my head. Good thing we have the internet experts on the scene, haha :P

**I take back what I said about 10 year old boys; most American men can probably breast feed due to being obese or overweight, and their increase in progesterone from excess weight.

It's 15 here and I'm ok with it. A little on the young side, but not enough to make it criminal offense to sleep with such girl.

The current age of consent (which is 18 here) seems pretty reasonable to me.

I think it's hard to create a set rule for this kind of thing. KIds of a similar age will do whatever they want regardless.

Its 16 here in Pennsylvania, USA.

Thats perfect.....old enough to drive, old enough to dive

Its way too young for me personally (my age range is generally 27 - 42, with exceptions of course), but I have no problem with that being the age of consent.

I think its just right.

Agreed. You beat me to it.

great post OP... outs all of the gamespot pedos and im sure theres many of them

Pedophilia is an adult sexual interest in children under the age of 12.

Sexual interest in a 12 year old is not pedophilia, and 12 is not a child or a kid, 12 is the true beginning of being a teenager.

That being said 12 - 15 is too young for consent IMO and the 3 year rule should apply.

As I said before 16 is a perfect age to me for age of consent, just too young for my personal tastes.

If you are in your 20's and are chasing 14 and 15 year olds, even though thats not pedophilia (someone mentioned the term) you should seek professional help as there are likely issues there.

pedo confirmed.. mods can we get gamespot to come up with some kind of pedo badge to display for confirmed pervs?

16 years old is still a kid.. mods can we also make pedo sympathizer badges too?

Did you not see my post of the age range for me.......27 - 42?

pedophile? haha. You seem to be going McCarthy on us there guy.

Oh, and 16 is not a kid. 11 and under is a kid.

You see this girl?

She is a model named Fressy melendez (I put the name so that you can look her up and confirm that she is currently about 22 years old) , the first 2 pictures were taken when she was 16 years old (I knew the girl back then before she started her modeling career)

And the third pic is how she currently looks like (she is like 22 right now).

Now, be honest, if I wouldn't have told you that she was 16 in the first 2 pics, how old would you have thought she was?

If you had ran into the girl on the street wearing casual clothes, wouldn't have you found her hot?

Stop with that "every 16 years old person looks like a baby and finding them attractive means you're a pedo, derp." crap, if I had a penny for every gorgeous 16-17 girl I've ever seen, I'd be pretty damn rich.

Oh and before your bigoted mind tries to give me any shit: I'm 19 years old.

16 makes sense I suppose, most people that age are old enough to know the ramifications assuming they were taught about it properly. Personally I'll stick with 19+, I remember dating when I was younger with younger girls and I really doubt the conversation subjects have improved over the years. Plus, at least around here, not being able to go to a bar or club kind of kills the number of things you can do.

18 is good. Anyone less than 18 really has no idea what they are doing in most everything they do.

16 makes sense here

I think the current age here (UK) is fine although raising it to thirty eight would be preferable.