# Should the Age of Consent be lowered? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 1, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972 "2004-07-01T00:21:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/62 "2004-07-03T14:20:02Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > What? You’ve made it far too simple. > > Driving a car = not very likely unless parents (who are legally responsible for any messes minor child gets into when driving) help out (provide car and insurance). Providing a car and insurance implies that the parents are willing to cover any mistakes the kid might make. > > Having sex = likely as long as the kids want to and can slip away from parents. Parents will _still_ very likely be obligated to pay for any mistakes (pregnancy, etc.) that minor children make, however. So whether or not the parents are willing to foot the bill, they very likely will _have_ to. Heh. The only “say” my mom had to stop me from driving was to never leave her car keys lying around while she was away doing something else. Good thing I never got caught, though. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/63 "2004-07-03T15:17:09Z")
> [@Hazel](#): > > I think I’d set it at 14 – **but** 14 and 15 year olds would be off limits to persons age (18? 19? 20? not sure what the limit should be) and older. At age 16, there would no longer be any rules re how old one’s partners could be. Here in Missouri, the age of consent is split up depending on the ages. Fourteen is the age of consent if the oldest is older than 18, but younger than 21. If the oldest is over 21, the youngest cannot be younger than 17, otherwise it is an offense. > [@](#): > > 566.032. 1. **A person commits the crime of statutory rape in the first degree if he has sexual intercourse with another person who is less than fourteen years old.** > 2. Statutory rape in the first degree is a felony for which the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than five years, unless in the course thereof the actor inflicts serious physical injury on any person, displays a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument in a threatening manner, subjects the victim to sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with more than one person, or the victim is less than twelve years of age in which case the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than ten years. > [http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/C500-599/5660032.HTM](http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/C500-599/5660032.HTM) And: > [@](#): > > 566.034. 1. A person commits the crime of statutory rape in the second degree if being twenty-one years of age or older, he has sexual intercourse with another person who is less than seventeen years of age. > 2. Statutory rape in the second degree is a class C felony. > [http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/C500-599/5660034.HTM](http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/C500-599/5660034.HTM) Not the most clear cut for those under 21, as the law does not specify, but there could be precedent. And, IIRC, the parent here does have power in these situations- I believe the parent of the youngest child has the power to press charges or drop them. IANAL though, and have not cite for the last part, it is mostly hear-say. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/64 "2004-07-03T15:23:50Z")
These links should work better: [http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/c500-599/5660000032.htm](http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/c500-599/5660000032.htm) [http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/c500-599/5660000034.htm](http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/c500-599/5660000034.htm) ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/65 "2004-07-03T19:46:24Z")
I’m seventeen years old, and my boyfriend just turned 20. That makes us having sex illegal. Now, perhaps I’m rather biased in this case, since I’m involved and all, but I feel that this should not be an illegal activity. Both of us our fully aware of what we are doing. I am not being “taken advantage of by some older guy.” Besides, there’s only about a 2.5 year difference between between our ages. I feel that the age of consent should be 16. It is at this point that I think the average teenager has the emotional development to not be taken advantage of by an older person. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/66 "2004-07-05T20:59:48Z")
I think the age of concsent should stay as it is (here in the UK) at 16. I am all for statitory rape laws. As they are there to protect people who need protecting. The police don’t go around arresting 16 year old guys for sleeping with their 15 year old girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/67 "2004-07-05T21:01:41Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > I am all for statitory rape laws. As they are there to protect people who need protecting. The police don’t go around arresting 16 year old guys for sleeping with their 15 year old girlfriend. Then why would you leave a law available for them to be able to, if they’re not going to do it anyway? ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/68 "2004-07-05T21:13:43Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > Then why would you leave a law available for them to be able to, if they’re not going to do it anyway? Because that same law allows them to prosecute a 20 year old that is taking advantage of a 14 year old. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/69 "2004-07-05T21:15:43Z")
Don’t we already have abuse laws if abuse can be shown? ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/70 "2004-07-06T00:09:08Z")
Coming into this thread, I was pretty convinced that the AoC should remain at 18. Now that I’ve read both sides, I think that both the AoC and the Age of **accountability** should be set at 16. At 16, you may have sex and your parents may ask you to leave their residence. You may sign your own legally binding paperwork and if you end up with a child, it is solely the responsibility of the two 16+ yr olds who created it. Because if you’re old enough to make a possibly life-threatening or life-inducing (heh) decision, you’re old enough to pay for your own mistakes. AoC protects children from older predators, but it also protects parents from dealing with the aftermath of their stupid teenager’s horrible decision-making. Not that all teenagers are stupid, mind you. But parents of bright teenagers don’t really need these laws, do they? If we could develop a test for emotional/mental maturity, I think EVERYONE should have to pass it, 18 or not. But again, that’s ALOT of tax dollars that I’m not willing to throw into the big pot to ensure that little Timmy is able to get his rocks off before his 18th birthday. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/71 "2004-07-06T12:57:48Z")
> [@the raindog](#): > > s-l-i-p-p-e-r-y s-l-o-p-e C’mon, now; that’s kinda silly. The essence of the slipper slope “argument” is that if you allow something minor (:D), more serious “things” become more possible or even probable. But if you ask far too many Western adults, the worst thing _imaginable_ is for a teen to have sex with an adult! ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972/72 "2004-07-07T03:27:34Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > I think the age of concsent should stay as it is (here in the UK) at 16. > > I am all for statitory rape laws. As they are there to protect people who need protecting. The police don’t go around arresting 16 year old guys for sleeping with their 15 year old girlfriend. But if the law simply says that it is statutory rape if a male who has sex with a female under 16, period, and says nothing about the age of the male, then if a 15 year old girl has sex with her boyfriend, the boyfriend can be arrested, tried, and possibly convicted no matter what his age – even if he’s also 15; even if he’s younger. If a law is on the books, it can be enforced. No matter how long it’s been customary to make statutory rape arrests only if the male is over a certain age (18, 21, whatever) – if they decide to arrest a 16 year old, they can. If someone with clout in the local power structure demands that his 15 year old daugher’s 15 year old boyfriend be arrested, the boy will be arrested. And let’s suppose we’re in a jurisdiction with a “romeo and juliet” law – the law permits arrests only when the male is 18 or older. The age of concent is 16. So John, a high school senior age 18 and one month is having sex with Mary, a high school sophmore age 15 and 11 months – does John deserve to be convicted of a felony? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-age-of-consent-be-lowered/252972.md?page=3)