What should be the legal age of consent for sexual relations?
In the US, it is 18, 17, or 16, depending on what state you live in. In Brazil, Canada, Peru, Colombia, Portugal, Germany, and Chile, it is 14. In Argentina, Iran, Japan, and Spain, it is 12. In the UK, it is 16. In Madagascar, it is 21! In Yemen, it is 9!!! Poland and France set the age at 15. What are your thoughts???
Law & Ethics - 21 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
shouldn't be any lower the 16, but 18 is fine with me.
2 :
18. If someone isn't legally old enough to enter into a contract, they aren't old enough to procreate.
3 :
no age just a marriage license.
4 :
I think the U.S. has the age right. 14?! 12?! NINE YEARS OLD?!? That is freakishly insane. What 9 year old needs to be having sex. You don't even hit puberty until like 13. And I think 21 is a little too old.
5 :
Each culture has it's own definition of what is right and wrong. It is improper to impose your cultural beliefs on another. In other words, if the Japanese are cool with 12-year-olds having consentual sex and Madagascar says 21, who are we to say that either one of them are wrong?
6 :
menstruation is the point that god decided....... now humanity has no faith in that.....
7 :
When we hit puberty we are supposed to have sex. That is the way it is supposed to be, society has deemed it unacceptable to do this. When you hit puberty you should be able to have sex because that is what we're supposed to do.
8 :
18 for everyone but my daughter - 32 for her.
9 :
It is 19 in Japan... I wonder how many of your other stats are messed up. It should be 21 in US.
10 :
there can never be a good age. all societies look at the education of the person. in the united states we assume that because someone is at a certain age they are not smart enough to do something. there are some kids out there who are more mature and able to handle certain situations than a lot of adults
11 :
18...if you can get diapers on the credit card, you can have sex.
12 :
My grandmom & grandad got married in 1914. She was 13 at the time. I think we modern day Americans spoil/coddle our children too much. Most people are ready to have sex at 13. I think they should be married before having sex though.
13 :
60
14 :
16 or 17 sounds ok. I do not know how many spins around the sun makes an adult, but I know that 16-17 year olds are sexually mature. I also know 35 year olds that are sexual infants. So trips around the sun has no effect on the indaviduals relations with others.
15 :
When your old enough to receive state assistance without your parents having to sign for you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
16 :
I agree with others it should be 18, because if you can't be held liable in a contract, can't vote, and can't get a license (some states), then you shouldn't be having children (whether unintended or not).
17 :
18 is reasonable. People are answering this question as if it asks "when is it Ok to have sex." The age of consent applies to people over that age, so an 18 year old can't have sex with a 15 year old. regardless of the age of consent it's not illegal for two 15 year olds to have sex; they won't both be charged with statutory rape.
18 :
well think about it. do you really think that kids will follow consent laws. Its a joke. If kids are going to have sex who is going to beable to stop them? it is personal no one else would no about it, and also most teenagers don't even know what consent means. The ones that do probably couldn't care less what the law is about it.
19 :
I thing 18 should be the law,but who obeys the law anyway?I known I didn"t !but you know boys get horney before girls. you just have to remember"you do the crime you pay the find.Just be careful.
20 :
I think if 2 kids are having sex within about 2 years of each other, there is no crime. If one is under 14-16 and the other is 4 (or so) years older, they MIGHT be liable for criminal activity depending on the situation. The prob with the USA is that even if a girl shows you an ID saying she is 18, if it's fake and she's actually 16, you just committed a crime. That is ridiculous.
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