# paedophilia Your thoughts, please.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paedophilia-your-thoughts-please/194249>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 10, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paedophilia-your-thoughts-please/194249 "2003-08-10T20:46:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 42

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**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paedophilia-your-thoughts-please/194249/42 "2003-08-13T05:27:24Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by tanookie_  
> **Well, Mr 2001, I can only speak for myself. I remember my father molesting me as far back as age 3 or 4 (where my memory begins) I did not know what he was doing to me/making me do was wrong. I thought it was a perfectly normal thing and that every daddy did those things. And even at that age I hated every second of it.**

I’m sorry to hear that.

But are you suggesting that every child in that situation hates it? Three or four is awfully young, but it seems to me that at least _once_ in the history of mankind, it’s likely that a prepubescent child and an adult have had a sexual relationship that the child didn’t hate at the time. My question is whether the child would still be scarred if s/he didn’t hate what was happening, and wasn’t treated as a victim or expected to play that role.

> [@](#):
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> _Originally posted by KGS_  
> **If such a test exists, I’ve never seen it. And I’ve looked.**

Then how can you say “Some kids reach [emotional maturity] before age 13 or 14. Some NEVER reach it.” if you have no way to know whether any given kid is emotionally mature or not?

The phrase “emotionally mature” is meaningless if there’s no way to know if it applies to anyone.

> [@](#):
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> **In any case, you must agree that _most_ Americans see 18 as an inviolable age barrier, when it comes to consentual sex.**

Not the ones I’ve met. When people refer to 18 as being “legal”, IME it’s because 18 is the highest age of consent anywhere in the country. If she’s 18, you don’t have to worry about which state you’re in.

Also, it’s illegal to travel across state lines for the purposes of sex with someone younger than 18 - maybe that’s what you were thinking of.

**Hazel** : Excellent points.

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