That the age of consent should be raised to eighteen

[SEsofty]

Currently the law requires children to be in some form of education until they are eighteen. The law prohibits under eighteens buying alcohol because they are not mature enough to handle it.

And yet at sixteen can legally become a parent. Not developed enough to drink and yet can make the most life changing decision.

The vast majority of sexual encounters don’t result in a pregnancy but it is always a possibility.

In order to be logically internally coherent about when as a society we think that children become adults surely the age of consent should be raised. So Aibu to think that the age of consent should be raised to eighteen

[DitheryOzzyOsbourne]

Agreed

[RebelRogue]

Yes because no under 16's are having sex now. And no under 18's would ever have sex if the law changed.

[Surfingwhippet]

The age of consent when one person is in a position of trust is 18.

However we all know that hormones rage way before 16 and raising the general age of consent is not going to work.
Maybe use some of that extra education time to educate about sex and relationships so that in 99% of cases people are only pregnant when they want to be

[SoupDragon]

What you say makes logical sense but not practical sense. It would be pointless really.

[NapQueen]

I agree.

Im not naive enough to assume that teens wait til they hit the age of consent. But raising the age will help.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

I agree too. I think 16 is too low.

[IncyWincyMouseRat]

YABU Let’s work towards more comprehensive sex education and easily accessible public information rather than criminalising normal teen behaviour. Teens are hardwired to want to have sex, changing a law won’t stop that!

[Nothisispatrick]

IncyWincyMouseRat

I agree with the above. Stop turning teenagers in to criminals for normal human behaviour. Teenage pregnancy is also at an all time low, why the worry now?

[duplodancer]

I agree

[KittenBeast]

Never going to work. Wouldn't have stopped me at 16 and 17. Nope.

[Earthmoon]

YABU.

[Surfingwhippet]

If you compare with Holland in 2016 there were 92 pregnancies in Holland of women aged 16 or under compared with 2,821 in the uk.

The difference, better sex and relationships education and better access to contraception

[NotUmbongoUnchained]

I don’t know anyone who even waited till 16.

[Lethaldrizzle]

I did

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

No, raising the age will do nothing. I think the Uk should prosecute the eighteen/ nineteen year olds that get children under sixteen pregnant though.

[SameTerfDifferentUserName]

I agree with you. YANBU! It is not about stopping teenagers having consensual sex, we know that’s always going to happen, it is about us as a society providing them with greater protection. It should be done in conjunction with better SRE.

[AlonsoTigerHeart]

Changing the age won't stop teens having sex.

[MIdgebabe]

roughly equates to 5 or 6 times higher pregnancy rate in 16/17 in uk than holland

[CaptainHammer]

Agree with incy completely

[YouAreNotImportant]

No.

[PurplePimple]

I agree.
Dcs are having sex at 14 / 15 now - raising the age might mean they wait until 16 / 17 instead.

[RebelRogue]

@SameTerfDifferentUserName how is increasing the age offer them more protection?

[KittenBeast]

So someone aged 18 could be prosecuted for having sex with a 16 year old? Seems absurd.

[liminality]

Hahahahaha oh lol. Nice one OP.

[tatree]

Holland's legal age is 16 so it shows the raising legal age alone with no other changes won't have any bearing. Underage pregnancy and having sex under the age of 16 are two different issues as one doesn't necessarily lead to the other - it's about attitudes towards sex and education about contraception.