Otsego Mar
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For me, this is the opposite end of the spectrum.
I'm not comfortable, at all, with adults having sex with 13 year olds. Boys or girls. I think at a certain age, parents have an expectation that society will prevent predatory behavior. I mean, we don't let 13 year old kids do quite a number of things, I don't see why sex can't be added to that list.
Now, again, I don't believe in throwing the book at someone if they (as well as a jury) reasonably believed the other party was of age; but at 13, the reasonable part there is stretched so thin that I don't think it's really worth talking about.
That's why I say 16, which is the majority consensus of the states now, makes perfect sense. 14-15, and I have no problem with the courts getting involved just don't charge these guys with "rape." 13 years old? I have a hard time understanding how that's a consensual and equal sexual relationship - I can leave room for doubt - but... There's not many 13 year olds that can successfully pass as adults. This is were I'd start to think it's completely unreasonable in the general case.
Any way you shitslice it, it's a pressing issue for many.
As for "predatory behavior", no law is going to prevent that. Laws generally don't prevent anything. A no gun sign is not going to prevent the criminal from shooting up a theater. Putting a 21 year law in effect will not stop anyone from being attracted to someone that is 18 and/or prevent them from having sex - not to mention it's just plain silly. I don't believe arbitrary ages should be the deciding factor in determining such "laws". 16 may be a more comfortable deciding age (18 may or may not even be considered a true age at which many people become "adults" especially in today's society), but I moreso alluded to 13 as an age when many adolescents have entered puberty - and upon further investigation it seems like 16 is an average age when both boys and girls have completed puberty - which is my basis for this sexual discussion.
Are there laws preventing 15 year olds from having consensual sexual relationships (with each other)?
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