# Should we prosecute women for shagging 16 and 17 year old men? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219 "2012-10-09T15:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/61 "2012-10-10T17:29:11Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > My trouble with it is that teacher/student sex is a felony. A “spend 5 years in the clink for one night of sex with someone over 18 years old” type felony. > > Lose your job, sure. Maybe get probation… but multiple years in jail for having consensual sex with someone capable of giving consent? That’s just nuts. That is my reasoning, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/62 "2012-10-10T17:35:29Z")
Sex with an underage kid is exactly that, regardless of the gender. The woman should be prosecuted for it, same as a guy shagging a young girl. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/63 "2012-10-10T17:46:51Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Sex with an underage kid is exactly that, regardless of the gender. The woman should be prosecuted for it, same as a guy shagging a young girl. I’m assuming by _underage_ you mean “below the age of consent,” not “below voting age.” Am I wrong? If not, what do you think the age of consent for a male should be? For a female? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/64 "2012-10-10T17:48:31Z")
It should be 16 for both, like it is in most of the country. Sure, there are plenty of 16-18 years olds that aren’t ready, but the same can be said about 18-20. You draw the line at the place that prevents the fewest from doing what you would consider okay. I know too many 16-year-old girls who date college men (and who admit they did that when they were younger) for me to believe that people generally think it’s so horrible that it should be against the law. And, yeah, the teacher/student thing being criminal even if they are otherwise of age is odd. Firing, revocation of license, and a blacklist is much more appropriate. Therapists are much more able to use their powers to manipulate and that’s all that happens to them. If it’s unwanted attention you’re concerned about, use existing sexual harassment law. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/65 "2012-10-11T00:30:51Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Lately there’s been a lot of teachers in the news for underage sex. I think its a huge waste of court time and an unnecessary punishment. > > Sex with men is different then it is with women. Obviously guys don’t get pregnant. Also guys aren’t nearly as sentimental about sex. A 16 year old girl just reacts more strongly to a love affair. She’s really in love and vulnerable. To put it crudely, sex for young guys is one step above masturbating. > > It wasn’t that long ago that some fathers took their sons to prostitutes. Learn how its done. No woman wants a clumsy inexperienced lover that will prematurely ejaculate before he even gets it in. Guys are expected to know how to please a woman. It takes experience. > > Whats says the great and wise SDMB? Should the sexual age limit for men be 16? > > This is just one typical example. The man was 17 and woman 27. > [Sarah Jones: Bengals cheerleader leaves court hand in hand with victim after pleading guilty | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2214666/Sarah-Jones-Bengals-cheerleader-leaves-court-hand-hand-victim-pleading-guilty.html) I have a problem with your calling 16 year old males ‘men’ while calling 16 year old females ‘girls’. I think that once we have parity for the genders, then we can discuss the question more rationally. Also, I believe that ‘statutory rape’ isn’t rape at all. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/66 "2012-10-11T01:45:17Z")
16 is the age of consent it in the vast majority of states. If you are in a position of power like a teacher, it is 18. But still, I don’t think it should be illegal. iffy and illegal should not be the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/67 "2012-10-11T04:06:47Z")
Not a fan of the poll so did not vote. I would not support a different age of consent between males and females. 16 is the age of consent in my state and I agree with it. I have no objections to laws that extend the age of consent to 14 provide both people are under 18. In the case of the student teacher relationships I think it is an abuse of authority. I don’t necessarily think it should be illegal but think any teacher doing so should be fired and banned from teaching. I find many people who believe it should be ok for a female teacher to have sex with a male student on the grounds ‘boys want to have sex’ fiercely object when you propose ‘in that case you think it’s fine for a 25 year old male teacher to have sex with a willing 16 year old male student because boys want to have sex’ ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/68 "2012-10-11T04:21:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > …OP: What if the adult and the 16-year-old were both male? This right here. No one in this scenario can get pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![Sodalite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@Sodalite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sodalite)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/69 "2012-10-11T07:33:25Z")
Gah! I accidentally clicked the wrong one. I meant to hit NO and I’m a woman. No sex with children regardless of gender. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/70 "2012-10-11T15:39:31Z")
> [@Sodalite](#): > > Gah! I accidentally clicked the wrong one. I meant to hit NO and I’m a woman. No sex with children regardless of gender. The poll was purposefully misleading. I also clicked the wrong one. The poll is pointless and any results from the poll are void. This whole thing should be shut down. It was set up to mislead and direct people’s responses and the whole thing is a muddled mess. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/71 "2012-10-11T16:02:10Z")
Take a deep breath. No one is going to set public policy based on one random poll from a messageboard. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219/72 "2012-10-11T17:02:57Z")
I’m trying…I know it is good to have perspective, but this poll just plain sucks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prosecute-women-for-shagging-16-and-17-year-old-men/637219.md?page=3)