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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Should the age of consent be raised?

55 replies

joash · 10/02/2005 10:58

following on from the "my 16 yr old ds is having sex with his 15 yr old girlfriend" thread ... I wondered what people thoughts were on this subject.

OP posts:
Gwenick · 10/02/2005 11:44

oh dear Joash - spelling goes in your 40's - I'm already terrible in my mid 20's (and was in my teens) I guess I'll just be writing garbled nonsense in my 40's then

Cam · 10/02/2005 11:45

I agree with you fastasleep, but life has a way of changing and you might feel differently when you're older

secur · 10/02/2005 11:45

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Fastasleep · 10/02/2005 11:46

Yep I might Cam but I know I'll never really regret falling in love with my DH and having my beautiful son... even if I do get pangs about uni and binge drinking occasionally!

secur · 10/02/2005 11:48

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Cam · 10/02/2005 11:48

fastasleep you can still go to uni, I went when my dd1 was 6 (and I was 23)

Bozza · 10/02/2005 11:50

Gwenick I cross posted with you.

Gwenick · 10/02/2005 11:54

lol that's ok Bozza - I guessed that that's why I at you

Original poster
joash · 10/02/2005 13:19

Fastasleep -sorry, had to leave for a while there. Even at my grand old age, I still get pangs about uni and binge drinking and I have a degree and post grad qualifications (gained in my 30's BTW). There's nowt to stop you doing those things - with the exception, in my case, of binge drinking - the thought of having to get up with GS in the morning with a hangover - keeps me from having too much. I have to plan in advance (current plan involves weekend of 18th - 20th when we have friends coming up to stay .

OP posts:
nutcracker · 10/02/2005 13:44

Erm , i don't think it would work though because kids seem to get serious so much younger these days (blimey i sound like me mom) and if they wanted to have sex they would regardless of what the legal age of consent was.

So no, i don't see the point.

Gwenick · 10/02/2005 13:45

but nutcracker - when I was at school my friends used to say things like "well I'm 'nearly' 16 so it doesn't really matter" - when talking about having sex. At least if the age of consent was raised to 18 it wouldn't be so 'easy' to use the 'nearly of age' thing at 14/145

secur · 10/02/2005 13:48

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KateandtheGirls · 10/02/2005 13:52

I don't know about this one. I was 16 when I first "did it", and I think I was ready for it and don't regret it at all. I was always a pretty mature kid, I know a lot of 16 year olds aren't ready at that age. Would I have waited if the age of consent was 18? Maybe. I can't say for sure.

In the US it's 18. Of course there are still many many girls who have sex earlier than that and there is a huge teen pregnancy problem, but there is also a perception that kids shouldn't have sex until 18, and maybe that's a good thing.

secur · 10/02/2005 13:55

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fostermum · 11/02/2005 19:29

i feel it should have been older a long time ago dont think you could make a law now highering the age because it wouldnt be kept and you would end up with a prisons full of randy teens

Cod · 11/02/2005 19:30

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secur · 11/02/2005 19:34

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Cod · 11/02/2005 19:34

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secur · 11/02/2005 19:36

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fostermum · 11/02/2005 19:44

you crual,crual woman secur

Newbarnsleygirl · 11/02/2005 19:44

They should raise it in the hope that it would make a difference but I don't think it would.

Cod · 11/02/2005 19:44

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secur · 11/02/2005 19:45

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Cod · 11/02/2005 19:45

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fostermum · 11/02/2005 19:50

i wanna work in there toooo