Why is the law in some countries say that people can have sex at 16, but its legal to watch adult content at 18+?

I've always wondered this but kept forgetting to ask this question.
I mean if you are allowed to have sex legally at 16, shouldn't they allow adult material to be viewed at the same age? Or should the law for all sexual activity should be the same at 18?

I mean there's more risks involved if you are able to the act in person, right?

Mind you, a good portion of teens probably had watched adult content from that age and younger; some would of had actual sex regardless of what's legally stated. With that in mind, should this law be changed?
I do understand this varies from country to country but for the basis of this question, I'm using the U. K as an example.
Why is the law in some countries say that people can have sex at 16, but its legal to watch adult content at 18+?
1 2

Superb Opinion

  • Personally, hardly anyone abides by that rule regarding the watching adult content part, as soon as someone, regardless of age hears or sees something related to the subject, you know their curiosity will make them search it up and after that they are going to watch it again from then on.

    But I think that the reasons for the different rules is maybe due to having sex at 16, which I do NOT suggest at all, would be less traumatising for a 16 year old than having full access to adult videos of adults doing kinds of things that a teenager could never handle thinking of.

    I want to state that the sex at 16 would only be less traumatising if that sex was consensual and they both were sure they wanted to do it, if it was an event where they unfortunately had sex without consent then that would be more traumatic indeed.

    But I think the main reason really is just because there is a sea of categories and messed up stuff in the adult content areas, so the websites and government try to make it less accessible to young viewers.

    I don't really know what the legal age of having sex in the UK is but honestly I know the earliest person to have had it was 16 in my last school and she has a child and her boyfriend is very supportive as a father, as for the latest I think that one of my college friends had sex at 20 because they were in a relationship for a long time so it made sense, it matters not to me, I know I passed the legal age to have it, just gotta wait now ^_^

    • "But I think that the reasons for the different rules is maybe due to having sex at 16, which I do NOT suggest at all, would be less traumatising for a 16 year old than having full access to adult videos of adults doing kinds of things that a teenager could never handle thinking of." Respectfully, I disagree with that. Even if consensual, actually performing a physical sexual act would would be way more impactful psychologically than just seeing a picture or a video of some random person doing it.

Most Helpful Guy

  • For the UK, it’s been a mine field.

    pre internet the only way was top shel magazines and adult (over 18 movies).

    those fell under Media laws on pornography.

    so you could still have sex and marry but not watch or look at porn.

    with the arrival of internet, it became an issue, originally anything was allowed and it took some high profile cases to start changing things.

    however almost everything internet still sits under audio visual laws.

    yes you can still fuck and marry at 16 but not look at porn..
    .
    https://www.fpa.org.uk/factsheets/law-on-sex

    it’s definitely weird and always has been, but because the Audi visual laws also include TV and movies, messing around with them would mean 16 yr olds getting in to places that would not really be safe for them, such as adult theatres and shops.

    moving sex to 18 would also mean marriage etc and be an ostrich move, as nothing would change and everyone would still fuck around.

    yeah good question and weird to enforce

Most Helpful Girls

  • I think it is a good signal to send to teenager that porn is a special type of 'entertainment' that is unavailable to them. A lot of porn is bad in so many ways and you should at least know what you are watching to understand that it is filled with acting and tricks. Therefore, I think it is great that parents can more easily block it since it is 18+ sites.
    Normal sex is a natural thing between two young people who love each other and explore in their own pace. It can even be a very good way to start sex. Though, there are issues with consent, safe sex and so on and it is important that young people learn this. But I do think it is your own body and ultimately your decision what to do with it, so I don't like the idea of making sex illegal. I more see the age limit of sex as the boundary for when older adults can have sex with teenagers.

  • That is a really good question.
    It's like this site.
    You can't have nudity because underage kids might see, but it is okay to go into very detailed information about sexual acts. 🤔 both are not suitable for underage kids to see but i would think them coming across very specific details of sexual acts would be far worse.

    • Oh really

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What Girls & Guys Said

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  • I have always wondered about that. It is just another weird sex law in western countries. In Japan, our media is highly sexualized and I have always had access to adult content. My parents did not have an issue with my viewing it, either. It is part of the learning process. They also did not freak out when I started having sex. They just had one rule, if it was a boy, he couldn't be older than me. I will take the same approach one day when I am a parent.

  • I didn't even know u had to be a certain age to bang 🤣 and meanwhile i was gettin buckwild in the public wilderness at 15 😂🙈

    • Really?

    • Yea everybody in my HS was

  • The idea is that kids re often going to have sex regardless. The laws regarding a higher age are there (I believe) to make it harder for kids to get into content posted by adults. which can be much more explicit. These days, though, even the youngest ones are getting extremely explicit, often with pictures for boyfriends, that then end up getting passed around or posted on the internet.

  • Good point! It's like getting a driver's license before you're old enough to take driving lessons.

  • That makes no sense to me! 🤨

    • Maybe it's content vs interaction but it's strange

    • It really is! I thought about this for while

  • One is about classifying an act as rape regardless of consent and the other is a minor infraction about watching adult material. Grown men shouldn't be touch 15 year old girls and really unless they are within a year or two, no girl under 18.

    • This is what I'm saying. I would say the ability to do sexual acts in person poses greater risks than adult content. Some men don't care regardless which is dangerous as hell

  • Yeah, I don't understand the laws and why would a 16-year-old be old enough to watch adult porn but not old enough to engage in sex with an older partner just so crazy the laws don't make sense?

    • It's the other way round hun... You can engage in sex but not watch it at 16.

    • @ultimega The laws are something else, like in Pennsylvania US we have Family Dollar stores and they don't care what your age is, you must show your photo Id in order to purchase cigarettes

    • Well that makes sense.

  • Some of these laws have been on the books forever and it takes a long time to change.

  • I don't have a logical answer for this, some laws are just weird.

  • There's generally restrictions to the age limit. So here (Australia) if you're 16 then you should legally only have sex with someone no more than 2 year's older or younger. At 17 you can fuck whoever that's 18+

    I think it also tries to protect younger people a bit more. Just because we all probably did see porn from a young age doesn't necessarily mean we should.

  • Not sure. The only reason I can think of is that maybe the "adult content" encourages them to engage in risky sexual behaviors (as opposed to safer sex practices, as taught in their health class.)

  • Laws don't always make sense or have coordination between them. But they are still the law. One of those laws may have been made at a time when the society was more conservative and one at a time when it was less conservative.

  • I think it has to do with local laws and difference to international laws.

    • In what way?

    • International laws are more generalized so every nation comes to an agreement of where it should be established for everyone. But in each nation they can lower it because it is based on their societal views and sometimes their people's views and wants.

    • Okay I understand

  • It's the same mentality as the girl at the super market can't scan the bottle of wine if she is under 21. This is the compromise competing interest groups came up with.

    • I think you misinterpreted the question, sir. Please read the description.

    • It's the fact a 16 Yr old can engage sex but then not allowed to watch it.

    • I'm aware.

  • It is because the United States government dictates this as a World Wide standard to try to thwart child pornography.

    • But then if that's the case, they should raise the actual law for sexual intercourse to18 in order eliminate that risk.

  • All hypocrites

  • Government logic for sure

  • Because laws are made by politicians.

  • Wait what I never knew that it’s 16 I thought for anything adult related it’s 18

    • Yeah content and club wise. You can have sex however you aren't allowed to watch it at 16.

  • Why do some countries say you can't drink till you're 21, but you can go to war, at 18

    • Because they need soldiers. And a sober soldier is better than an alcoholic one.

    • an alcoholic soldier, is right at least twice a day

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