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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think we should up the age of consent to 18?

404 replies

whatnet · 19/09/2023 00:10

I just have this utterly sick feeling about the constant narrative pushed in the UK about a CHILD being ‘16’ and therefore, “what is your problem?”… “it’s ‘legal’” I am so sick of the exploitation of our girls in this country. Our CHILDREN. Our future. Who do not have a voice, because they are children. They need to be protected. I will pre empt some of your arguments. The UK government has classified the violence against Women and Girls as a “National Threat”

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/tackling-violence-against-women-and-girls-in-the-uk/

A 16 year old girl is a child and should be protected as a child, by law.

OP posts:
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8
Boomboom22 · 06/10/2023 19:13

@captainmarvella I would like to know about your country please

Redlarge · 06/10/2023 19:16

Absolutely

DrinkingMyWaterMindingMyBiz · 06/10/2023 19:17

CakeInAJar · 06/10/2023 19:09

TBH I’m not sure for a nanosecond that restricting young people ever works. I think some people forget what it’s like to be young

I agree, which is why I think the laws should be relative. Two 15YOs having consensual sex is fine, IMO. A 17YO and a 50YO, however, is not. Having relative consent ages would protect young people without shaming them when they do have sex.

ehupo7 · 06/10/2023 19:33

Werns · 06/10/2023 19:08

16/17 year olds might be "young adults" developmentally, but not legally - they cannot legally do porn etc it would be classed as child abuse. If someone gave them money or drugs or booze or shelter in return for sex it would still be classed as child sexual exploitation. So if someone exploited a 16 year old for sex and it was called CSE, would you be saying "but they aren't children!"?. If someone was convicted for having CSEM on their harddrive would be saying "well they aren't children though"? Should those legal protections not apply to the ages of 16/17, since they are young adults? At that age they can still access child mental health services and child protective services still have a duty of care to them etc.

I definitely don't think the age of consent should be 18 necessarily. I do think there should be upper limits on how old their sexual partners could be though.

And no, it's not pedophilia for a 40 year old to have sex with a 16 year old, but it's still creepy. Any man that age going for under 18s would be shunned from any friend group I know. Young adults or not, legally they are minors still.

I think the fact the laws and definitions are so incoherent illustrates that these are not clear cut cut-off points – they’ve been decided on at some point, by people. For that reason I think it is at least worthwhile having a discussion about, to see if current laws and definitions reflect public opinions and attitudes.

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