Age of Female Consent Stays At 12

[Nonny]

Until 1923 it was still legal in the UK for a man to marry a girl who was 12. The age of consent in Spain is still 12. What would the West be like now if the age of consent had staid at 12? More promiscuity or less? More child pregnancies and brides or less? Would paedophilia have had to be redefined, or would it have never appeared if relations with pubescent nubiles was legal?

[Michael]

Isn't paerdophilia a "a person, especially a man, who is sexually interested in children"? So if the age of consent was lower then it wouldn't happen as often if at all.

[NapoleonXIV]

The age of consent in some US states is 13, however that doesn't seem to affect their number of teenagers marrying, promiscuity rates etc.

The legal age of consent would have limited effect if the age of minority is not changed, since a parent can still legally control an offspring's behavior during that period, yes?

It would effect pedophilia, of course, as it stands with US law legally any man over 18 who watched Britney Spear's earliest videos was a pedophile. (If he was normal ;) )The psychological profession, in fact, now draws a distinction between 'true' pedophilia and pedophilia as now legally defined.

Greater or lesser promiscuity? Less. All studies indicate that greater access to sexual knowledge, whether obtained through education or experience, leads to less promisucuity. That's why Sex Ed is so widely supported by the psychological community

[David Howery]

Unless Britney was naked in those videos, they wouldn't qualify as pedophilia. As for the age of 12... I dunno. 12 is kind of an awkward age. Some mature pretty quickly by then, others don't. Some could psychologically handle sex at that age, others couldn't. Some states set the age of consent at 13? That seems kind of young too. Don't most states set it at 16?

[Dunash]

Israel's age of consent is 17. Is there anywhere where it's higher? The Biblical Rebecca was only 3 when she married Isaac, who was 40! He didn't of course have relations with her until she was 12!

[marl_d]

i don't think any States age of consent are 13, please name them if there are..most are either 16 or 18, example Michigan is 16, Wisconsin is 18...no state in their right mind would go any lower than 16

[Adamanteus]

Until 1923 it was still legal in the UK for a man to marry a girl who was 12. The age of consent in Spain is still 12. What would the West be like now if the age of consent had staid at 12? More promiscuity or less? More child pregnancies and brides or less? Would paedophilia have had to be redefined, or would it have never appeared if relations with pubescent nubiles was legal?

Promiscuity isn't affected by laws. The age of consent in most states is 16 or 17, but have you noticed a decrease in promiscuity? I haven't. As for pedophilia, I believe it's defined by having sex with pre-pubescent children, which would imply an age less than 12, so it's not affected.

[Namor]

www.ageofconsent.com has all the information you need.

[Xen]

i don't think any States age of consent are 13, please name them if there are..most are either 16 or 18, example Michigan is 16, Wisconsin is 18...no state in their right mind would go any lower than 16

I never knew of a state that had it as low as 13 for many years now. I know about 20+ years ago Arkansas was 14, but it was changed I think in the 1970s. Though according to this chart South Carolina and Iowa either have recently changed it from or are going to change it to the age of 14.

http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm

[Xen]

LOL it looks like someone beat me to the chart, though that post wasnt there when I hit reply

[Norman]

This is kind of funny, so I'll pass it on. It was an actual case I learned in law school when I was taking a family law course.

There was a teacher in Pennsylvania (I think it was in the late seventies or early eighties), who began to have an affair with one of his seriously underage students.

The mother tried to keep them apart, but nothing worked, so charges were about to be filed, and then (as everybody knows) kiss that teacher goodbye.

But the teacher had a lawyer who not only read the law, but understood it. It seems that Pennsylvania during its frontier days had a relatively relaxed standard about the age a girl would have to be to enter into a common law marriage, and the marriage did not have to be approved or sanctioned by the girl's parents.

As a result, the teacher had the girl come over,and in front of witnesses, they staged a common law marriage ceremony.

When the prosecutor tried to bring charhes, the judge threw them out, essentially stating that the law was n the books, and that was that. Although the law has since been changed, the age necessary for a common law marriage in Pennsylania at that time was 7!

[Michael E Johnson]

You would basically have to get rid of the events( ie Industrial Revolution) that changed the social defintion of children by increasing the age of what is considered a child. 12 was nearly middle aged trough much of human history but when living standards and life expectancy increased the age of what was considered a child increased as well. People from the 16th and 17th century West would undoubedtly be shocked that people live with thier parents until to 18 and in many cases well into their 20's as are many in 3rd world countries today.

[Grimm Reaper]

But would you guys be able to finally get lucky? :D

[Michael E Johnson]

--But would you guys be able to finally get lucky?---

Hey your not talking to me here.Personally I think an extended childhood is a good thing in the modern world. I just dont think its something, like monogamy, that is completely biologically hard-wired for humans to except. Its just a very powerful social taboo and one that American society is very hypocritical about as it routinely both (correctly) condems child predators while at the same time sexualizes images of children.

[Alois]

Until 1923 it was still legal in the UK for a man to marry a girl who was 12. The age of consent in Spain is still 12. What would the West be like now if the age of consent had staid at 12? More promiscuity or less? More child pregnancies and brides or less? Would paedophilia have had to be redefined, or would it have never appeared if relations with pubescent nubiles was legal?

I've seen a photograph of a London girl from the late nineteenth century, labeled "ten years old" and "prostitute". She was VERY pregnant. So the question is, if 12 is legal, why risk going for 10? Not to mention the risks to that poor kid. The yet-unborn-baby was nearly as big as the mother.

But would you guys be able to finally get lucky?

I reject the whole concept of an "age of consent". I believe in marriage - making a commitment - before sex. AND with consent of all living parents even if the groom and bride are legally adults.

[Tyr]

I believe Japan's age of consent was about 12 or 13 until quite recently (the 90s).
I think the age of consent rising was a natural thing with people living longer and not needing to have children as quickly, if it had remained at 12 I don't think there would be much difference except for less freaks classed as paedophiles.

[restorationboy]

Well in most Islamic countries or countries where the Shariat law is in force..the legal age for a woman to marry is puberty or if she has no outward signs of puberty the age of 15.

[ljofa]

Spain is a bit more complex than "the age of consent is 12"

It is legal for a 12 year old or anyone 12-18 to have intercourse with anyone between the ages of 12-18. It is illegal for an 18 year old to have intercourse with anyone between the ages of 12-18. Between the ages of 16-18, there is a grey area with those just over 18 and those just under but essentially that's Spanish law.

What would the west be like then therefore?

I don't think it would make too much difference - unless Governments decided to put more into sex education, contraception etc. Britain has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies and one of the lowest rates of sex education in schools whereas the Netherlands is the opposite.

There might have been moves to raise the age of consent to something a little more sensible like 14 or 15 - and I know there are people on the board who will seize upon that remark and tear me to bits for it. I would like to think that a lower age of consent would lead to more awareness in terms of sex education so that teenagers can act a little more responsibly. A poll by BBC News online found that 10% of British teenagers think Cling Film and an elastic band will provide an effective form of contraception.

I think marriage for 12 year olds might only affect a handful of people, if that but conservative governments across Europe would put a number of pre-requisites on them first.

Not an earth shattering change of events but would hopefully produce a more relaxed attitude to sex.

[Straha]

well more highschoolers woudl get laid

[Michael]

Guess it wasn't grey wolf, sorry man :(
Anyway, I am poitive he did the one about harems :D

[Valamyr]

Here its 14 and i think its fine that way. Adults do get odd looks when they hang out with teenagers that age, though, but at least the law doesnt get to interfere where it doesnt belong.

[Michael]

Where's here valamyr?

[Grey Wolf]

Guess it wasn't grey wolf, sorry man :(
Anyway, I am poitive he did the one about harems :D

Now I'm confused to see my name without a reference as to why I see my name as the previous post in this thread is from March...

What didn't I say and why didn't I say it ?

Grey Wolf

[Michael]

It's all related to the sheep thread... That excuse could be used for anything :D

[Alayta]

Albania? This is not a joke or something, I googled it. Albania and north carolina(!) were shown to have the age of 14.

[chrispi]

Didn't New Zealand just change their law so that the age of consent is now twelve? :mad:

[Michael]

I really really doubt it chrispi, but i'll have a look.
According to this (http://www.ageofconsent.com/newzealand.htm) it isn't 12

[chrispi]

I really really doubt it chrispi, but i'll have a look.
According to this (http://www.ageofconsent.com/newzealand.htm) it isn't 12
That's from 2002. The law changed in 2004. However, it looks like that the revised law only allows 12-16 year olds to have sex with other 12-16 year olds, a far cry from pedophilia, but still is it a good idea to turn a blind eye on teenage promoscuity?

Updated link from TVNZ (http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_politics_story_skin/427249%3fformat=html)

[Ian the Admin]

That's from 2002. The law changed in 2004. However, it looks like that the revised law only allows 12-16 year olds to have sex with other 12-16 year olds, a far cry from pedophilia, but still is it a good idea to turn a blind eye on teenage promoscuity?

You know, if teenagers are having sex with each other, whether or not you think that's a big problem I don't see how you could make a case for jail as the solution.

[Brilliantlight]

You know, if teenagers are having sex with each other, whether or not you think that's a big problem I don't see how you could make a case for jail as the solution.

Agreed, it would just tend to turn them into real criminals. Teenagers have been having sex since the dawn of time, it isn't likely to change now no matter what we do.

[Doctor What]

Where's here valamyr?

Quebec, Canada.

Oddly enough, male-female and female-female age of consent is 14 but male-male is 18

Valamyr is right in that technically it's not illegal for, say a 30 year old to be seen with a 15 year old but it is still seen as being a little 'weird' (and, me personally, I find more than a little creepy)

[Landshark]

It's not that weird. Until a few years ago in the UK the male-female limit was 16 while the male-male was 18. Female-female was totally unlegislated.

[DominusNovus]

Quebec, Canada.

Oddly enough, male-female and female-female age of consent is 14 but male-male is 18

Valamyr is right in that technically it's not illegal for, say a 30 year old to be seen with a 15 year old but it is still seen as being a little 'weird' (and, me personally, I find more than a little creepy)

Well, as Colin Quinn says, "12 is the new 16." :D

[Valamyr]

Quebec, Canada.

Oddly enough, male-female and female-female age of consent is 14 but male-male is 18

Valamyr is right in that technically it's not illegal for, say a 30 year old to be seen with a 15 year old but it is still seen as being a little 'weird' (and, me personally, I find more than a little creepy)

Correct. Its a little creepy, but infinitely better than say, British laws, where a 16yo girl who has sex with a 13 years old boy can sucessfully sue him for statutory rape, or where a married couple can get sent to jail for 5 years for having sex in a private pool if someone is somehow able to see from their 9th floor building. True stories, sadly.

Looks like over there, good men are still dying not for the horses that they have stolen, but so that horses may not be stolen. All hail Burnet. ;)

[rcraig]

Israel's age of consent is 17. Is there anywhere where it's higher? The Biblical Rebecca was only 3 when she married Isaac, who was 40! He didn't of course have relations with her until she was 12!


Rebecca in the bible could not have been 3 when she married Isaac. This is how I came to my conclusion

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
GENESIS 24:15-16

[Tyr]

It's not that weird. Until a few years ago in the UK the male-female limit was 16 while the male-male was 18. Female-female was totally unlegislated.

Yeah we've always been really easy on lesbians.
Goes back to Queen Victoria thinking the idea that women would do such a thing stupid.

It does sort of make sense though really, I mean most of the shenanigans that kind of woman gets up to aren't classed as sex under many systems. I mean- where is the line between just hugging/kissing and having sex (possible joke here - below the neck :p)


I think Japan may still have its age of concent at 12- its either that or they moved it up to 14 a few years back.

[CalBear]

12 is a strange age, but most of the old sex laws are bit odd, especially considering that women didn't reach puberty until 16-17 back in the days that many of these laws were passed. It may have had something to do with arranged marriages or the like.

As far as the CRIME of pedophilia, it would have a lesser effect than you may imagine. First, as has been mentioned, the male/male age tends to be 18 (and this is a recent change in many American states, it used to be flat illegal whatever the age); second, there are a wholly disturbing number of sick bastards who figure that a kindergardener (boy or girl interchangably in many cases) is simply spendid.

Unfortunately, current American & Western law denies society the proper punishments for such individuals, the practice of being hung, drawn, and quartered having fallen into disuse, as has the even more practical, less labor intensive, choice of burning at the stake.

Too bad.

[Nekromans]

Quebec, Canada.

Oddly enough, male-female and female-female age of consent is 14 but male-male is 18

Valamyr is right in that technically it's not illegal for, say a 30 year old to be seen with a 15 year old but it is still seen as being a little 'weird' (and, me personally, I find more than a little creepy)

I saw a video in RE the other day:

17-year-old girl
64-year-old man

They had to go to Scotland, because the girl's parents didn't consent. It was soooooooooo gross.