What do you think that the age of consent should be globally? And why?

[Anonymous]

As it stands, Bahrain and South Korea have the oldest ages of consent in the world, at 21 and 20 years old respectively (with anyone who engages in sexual activity any younger than this liable to face prosecution for statutory rape); whilst several other nations have ages of consent as high as 25 for 'deviant' sexual activities (e. g, homosexuality, pornography, prostitution etc). Whilst at the other extreme, Nigeria and the Philippines have the youngest ages of consent in the world, at just 11 and 12 years old respectively (excluding those nations which don't have notions of 'consent' at all- i. e, imposing sharia law).

The global average age of consent in the world today is now over 16 (up from 15 in the 2010s), but has recently been trending downwards again- for instance, in the USA, whilst the average age of consent's still 18 in most states for heterosexual activity, literally every state that's legalized homosexual marriage have also reduced the age of consent for homosexual relationships to just 15. So then, what do you personally think that the global age of consent should be? And why do you see that threshold in particular as being morally superior to the alternatives?

[OlderAndWiser]

1. "literally every state that's legalized homosexual marriage have also reduced the age of consent for homosexual relationships to just 15." That statement is absolutely false. If you believe it is true, name one state that has a specific age of consent for homosexual behavior.

2. Why should there be a global age of consent? You think the law should be the same throughout the entire world. The age of consent in Japan, Peru, and Nigeria should be the same? Why shouldn't each country decide for itself what its law should be. Global laws suggest notions of a one world government and that would be a horrible result for most people.

[Bricealan]

My experience has told me that girls NOW are having sex at very early ages. Saw a film where a girl said she had sex at 13, and at her current age (?) she had between 20 and 25 partners.
When I was 19, my first sexual experience was with a 16 year old high school junior in Ohio. She was more experienced at 16, than I was at probably 25.
Seventy percent (70) said on this survey that 18 should be the age of consent across the board. At this time, the age of consent in many states is 16, including my home state. Statistics don't bear this out, that 18 is, or should be the age of consent.
With the current rate of teenage pregnancy, we have a huge population of men/boys guilty of 'statuatory rape

[OliviaOfTheScots]

Anyone who votes under 18 best be on some surveillance register

[Asker]

And if a South Korean said the same thing about "anyone who votes under 20 best be on some surveillance register", how would you respond? Would you be willing to instantly concede that they have the puritanical 'moral high ground' over you, and repent your wicked and sinful ways? Or would you still insist that you're justified in having a red line a full 2 years younger than their own, and call them out as "cultural supremacist"?

[OliviaOfTheScots]

Considering 18 is the average age someone matures

[Asker]

It really isn't. The average age at which one physically becomes a post-pubescent is now 16; whereas the average age at which one mentally becomes a post-pubescent, based upon brain activity patterns, is roughly 32. "Matures" is such a subjective, poorly defined term; what makes someone "mature"? If it's rational wisdom, and the facultive transition from the emotional 'white matter' of our brains to the rational 'grey matter' for the majority of our decision-making processes- well, scientifically, for males, this transition happens on average by their early to mid-20's. From early childhood, for those with high-functioning autism, male or female. For females on average, this only happens in their early to mid-30s though. And for an estimated 10-20% of the global population, who're overwhelmingly female, this will NEVER happen at all- they'll continue to make their decisions predominantly on an emotional, irrational, 'childish' basis until the day they die, no matter how old or experienced they become. Objectively, shouldn't this mean that all of these people, 99%+ of whom are female, should never be allowed to consent (or qualify as 'adults'for any other purposes, incl. criminal responsibilities and voting rights) from the day they're born til the day they die?

[ushagomez]

I think 15

[Astarlessnightsky]

13 (or 14) with additions like only if both partners are under 18.

[slatyb]

Most children do not have sex at 13. 18 seems about right with exceptions for young people close in age.

[Asker]

Does masturbation count as "sexual activity"? Because if it does, I can assure you that they most certainly do...

[slatyb]

Masturbation does not count for the purposes of this discussion, which was about consent.

[andreasderjuengere]

I think that there is one misconception in general:
The age of consent, and 'sex with a minor' is not one and the same thing.

Therefore, I believe that 15 or 16 can be tolerated, as long as it's within the level of perceived 'good morality'; I would not encourage it, though.
(I leave out 'Jessie's' favourite topic at this point)

With this relatively 'low' age level it's self explaining that i. e. through school there is a sufficient education about facts, risks and/or 'traps' required.

[iAMtheT0ASTER]

21 seems like the legal adult age these days. I don't understand how you have to be 21 to buy alcohol, tobacco, weed, and guns in some states, but at 18 you can vote and be sent off to war.

[iAMtheT0ASTER]

Also, I voted to make recreational marijuana legal here in Michigan when I was 19, and you have to be 21 to buy it. Isn't that weird?

[In_Trance]

The opposite of control is not chaos. More laws don't make fewer criminals

[Asker]

The opposite of control (authoritarianism) is anarchism, which is very much chaos. Fewer laws may well make fewer criminals- officially, since abolishing their police forces, the Somalian city of Mogadishu's been "crime-free", with "zero criminals", for the past decade or two now. But are you really naive enough to believe that Mogadishu's truly a crime-free utopia, with no criminals, just because there aren't any criminal prosecutions there any more?

[In_Trance]

Anarchism is not chaos. Study any nation with laws vs ones that have less or none. Laws protect dumb people.

[Asker]

I just cited the clear example of the nation which has had the least laws, and least law enforcement, in the entire world, for longest- Somalia. You say "Laws protect dumb people." It's only a truly ignorant and sheltered mummy's boy man-child who could possibly think that "laws against rape, murder and pillaging don't really exist to protect anyone, they just exist to stop ME from HAVING FUN".

[In_Trance]

If you think imposing a law that says rape is illegal or murder is illegal will stop rapes or murders, you are very naïve. Especially when the lawmakers are guilty of breaking their own laws.

[Asker]

And if you think that simply choosing not to impose laws that say they're illegal will stop them from happening, you're either supremely naive or a sociopath who doesn't give a crap about victims at all. Simply electing not to impose any laws, sweeping all crimes under the carpet and singing "la la la la la, it's not illegal" doesn't stop rapes or murders- it just decriminalizes them. Which, surprise surprise, doesn't actually help anyone except for the rapists and murderers (and the ultra-wealthy who have to pay less taxes towards protecting everything and everyone else, and can instead pay private security firms even more to protect no-one except themselves).

[In_Trance]

You are a jaded, naive little boy. Govt will love your statist mindset.

[Asker]

No, I'm a grown man who's actually seen first-hand, since infancy, exactly what happens when people adopt your approach. And who's grown up in a town where pedophilic rape gangs have been allowed to run rampant, simply because the Thames Valley Police's attitude's always been "we refuse to prosecute or investigate, we don't want to start a race war".

This place, for the last twenty years, has been a rape den for some of the UK's most prolific child sex trafficking Pakistani gangs. It's also less than 100m, and 200m, down the road from both of my respective secondary schools. Wanting to get these bastards prosecuted isn't a "statist mindset"- it's wanting the actual authorities to take the law into their own fucking hands, and prosecute them for doing this shit instead of focusing solely on protecting the criminals from vigilantes looking for our own payback.

[In_Trance]

Stop... you're embarrassing yourself

[Asker]

And you're exposing yourself as the unabashed pedo you really are.

[In_Trance]

You don't follow direction very well for some that is so obedient to a government

[Asker]

As opposed to subservience to- you? HA. Fat chance, wannabe hipster Guevara. He'd slit your throat as the pampered sorry excuse you are.

[In_Trance]

oh and you're scared too? pathetic combination. you talk a lotta shit for an ANON. I'm sure gay guys everywhere will think you're attractive. Maybe that's why you want an age of consent? To feel better about the times you were raped? hmm... makes sense. Still pathetic though. You Govt will rape you too.

[Asker]

"You Govt will rape you too"? Wow. Just when I thought you couldn't be any more of a wannabe hipster edgelord than you already were, you prove me wrong. My advice? Go back to jerking off to your hentai porn of lolis getting blackmailed and torture-raped by self-insert fat ugly bastard otakus (just like yourself). Hell, maybe you'll get isekaied off to your dream world with a slave loli harem some day. If you hold your breath for just ten minutes or so (under water, to be on the safe side), it can come true for you too!!!

[In_Trance]

I don't take advice from Anon sheep.

[ERB62]

16 for starters

[Anonymous]

Probably 18

[Anonymous]

I have forwarded this page to the local FBI field office

[Asker]

Why, when we're discussing the potential to raise the age of consent further?

[Anonymous]

The age of adulthood.

[Asker]

Hard to argue with that. What do you think that 'age of adulthood' should be, though?

[Opinion Owner]

Sixteen.

[Anonymous]

15 or 16