Quote Originally Posted by cyberianpan
Now that the A case has died down I'd like to raise this question in amore rational atmosphere: What should the age of consent (for sexual activity) be ?

Some cultures initiate children & it strikes me that different contexts may cause different feelings. Consider the case of Carleton Gajdusek. Whilst doing research in New Guinea he engaged in pedophilic activity that say here in The West that we clearly state as wrong but in New Guinea was normal. He then blurred lines by bringing some of those children back to the US & years later was prosecuted. His case probably got unduly sympathetic coverage due to his august status & age. Many eminent sources pointed out that what he did in New Guinea had a value judgment of "harmless" whereas his activities in the US were considered "criminal". People were musing as to whether the values of society, rather than any absolute morals were actually creating "victims".

Personally I am in no way for pedophilia but I do wonder just how we set boundaries & can we manage a rational debate on the manner ?

I propose the following as a solution to the age of consent issue:

1) Each child has a switch in them
2) When the parent(being defined as the adult legally responsible for the child) believes them ready they can flick the switch.
3) Also at age of legal majority( 16 ?) the switch flips anyway.

Obviously the above is a make-believe scenario but I think it could be a useful construct in eliciting the best rules in this area. Also I am no way in favour of the solution above as there is an aspect that I wholly disagree with.

cYp

As a parent of three children, 2 girls and 1 boy..I believe that the age of consent should be the age where the state recognises the person as an adult....If the state doesn't believe that a person under the age of 18 can vote (presumably because the state feels that they don't have a fully informed opinion) Then how can the state really say that the age of consent should be under 18? (Is the state saying that in matters of sexuality that a person under 18 is informed,but ill informed in relation to state matters?) So it doesn't matter if you have a child when you are 16 or 17 with all the responsibility that goes with this, provided that you wait until you are 18 to vote....Personally, my oldest daughter is almost 10 and behaving like a teenager...It scares me...I don't want my children robbed of their childhood because of childhood pregnancy...It appears that children are becoming sexualised well before their time in this modern age...And I think society is poorer for this reason......I believe that the age of consent should be the same as the age where a person is recognised as a adult and "capable?" of making adult decisions...

jonna