(Poll) What do you think the age of consent should be in the US?

[TheOneI]

Check out this article
https://www.google.com/amp/m.ndtv.com/world-news/in-love-says-teacher-jailed-for-sex-with-13-year-old-1649113%3Famp%3D1%26akamai-rum%3Doff?client=ms-android-hms-tmobile-us

And here's a map of the the age of consent in the states, I want to know your opinions on it.

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

[Anonymous]

I think it's important to remember that in many states that say age of consent is 16, that doesn't mean a 40-year-old can sleep with a 16-year-old. Most of those states have a condition that yes, a 16-17 year old can give consent, but only to someone within 3 years their age.

Also, no matter what the student's age is, a teacher with a student is still illegal. The student could be 18 but it is still illegal for the teacher to sleep with them.

^Just thought other laws should be brought up. I've seen people on this site talk about the age of consent as if it is the only law that exists, when really there are other laws that can impact that as well.

[0112358]

No it's the other way around.

Most of these numbers are indeed the age at which you can sleep with anyone.

Most but not all allow sex below that age if they are near in age.

[Opinion Owner]

@0112358 Sorry, you need to look that up. I know for a fact that in certain states even though the "age of consent" is 16 the 16 year old can ONLY have sex with someone who is 16-19. And no one below 16 can technically give consent (obviously there still might be fifteen-year-olds having sex in private, but if the parents find out someone had sex with their fifteen-year-old, they can press charges against that person because legally the fifteen-year-old cannot give consent.) It's concerning why you think kids younger than 16 can give consent.

[0112358]

You're flat out wrong and have not read it. Not all states have near-age exceptions (for example California, with an age of 18, does not) but some do. But the ages in the above chart are the -unrestricted- ages. On the far end of things, in Conneticut for example the age of consent is 16, but can go as low as 13 if the teens are less than 3 years apart. Quite a lot of those 16 states have near age exceptions down to 14.

Most with ages under 18 -also- have restrictions on authority figures. So a 16 year old might be able to have sex with a 30 year old, but a 25 year old teacher cannot have sex with his/her students.

If you're still in disbelief a good starting spot would be en.wikipedia.org/.../Ages_of_consent_in_the_United_States

[Opinion Owner]

@0112358 I already mentioned the restrictions on authority figures. But still, the "close-in-age" laws that you are referring to are for those under 18-21 (depending on the state). Many places still forbid a 40-year-old from sleeping with a 16-year-old. And for good reason.

[0112358]

The ages in this chart are the ages at which there's no age restriction. The 'near age' restrictions are, in some cases, BELOW those listed ages.

I'm not arguing what they should be or what's reasonable. I'm just stating what the laws are.

Picking one at random, Ohio for instance, the age of consent shows at 16. Actual laws in Ohio are:
- Under 18 and a teacher is illegal
- 16 and up with any age otherwise is okay
- 13 and up can have sex with 17 and below.

Again, not saying whether I think that's good, bad or otherwise, but that's the ohio law. In that case, the graph shows '16'. That's how they've done it for every state. You seem to be under the impression that the age is -always- 18 and that the numbers shown are the minimal near-age exception ages, and that's certainly not the case.

[Opinion Owner]

@0112358 No, I never said that the age is always 18. Please re-read what I have written. What I've said is that you can't simply go by the numbers on the chart that the Asker provided. You are wrong in saying "that's how they've done it in every state" because in New Jersey you must be age 19 or under to have sex with a 16 year old. In some states, like Ohio, the age is 16 and that's that. But in some states, like New Jersey, for minors you must be within 3 years of their age.

[Opinion Owner]

That's why I also brought up teacher/student relationships, because you can't simply look at the chart and say "that's the age of consent so anything at that age is okay!!!" Even in Ohio - where you mentioned that under 18 and a teacher is illegal - that may be the state law. But there are universities in Ohio that say a 25-year-old professor CANNOT have sex with a 22-year-old student, even though they are both adults and close in age, the University law forbids it. When looking at consent laws, there is SO MUCH more you have to consider. Like required mental state for giving consent - A husband and wife could be married for 20 years with 3 kids, but if one of them is black-out drunk and the other is not, the drunk one cannot legally give consent, and it's marital rape.

TL;DR Consent is actually a jumble of different laws that many pervs on this site have ignored, simply thinking "ooh she's 16 it's 100% legal" (not you - but I've seen other guys on this site with that attitude)

[0112358]

Oh there are more laws than just age around consent, obviously! I'd note that barring 25 year old professors from sleeping with 19 year old students is not a -law-, it's a rule, and they might get fired, but not jailed.

That said, you are interpreting the near-age exceptions wrong. The law in New Jersey is:
- an authority figure (i. e. teacher) cannot sleep with a 16-17 year old who they teach/in their care
- aside from that, a 16 year old CAN consent with someone 20, 50, or whatever years old.
- a 13-14 year old can consent with someone up to 4 years older.

So in new jersey, where it says '16', a 16 year old can sleep with a 40 year old they meet in the supermarket, a 13 year old can sleep with a 17 year old, but a 17 year old can't sleep with their boss who is 20.

[Neverrrmore]

I think that nobody 20 years old or older should be having sex with someone under 18. And also everything that you 18-24 pink anon said.

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c

[fauchelevent]

I think 16 is good. It's what we have here and I don't think any of us had an issue with it.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, I think it should be 30. Sounds crazy now doesn't it? My reasoning: The majority of young people, are not really and truly getting mature until about 30. There are exceptions, but that is a rarity. I realize that 30 is unrealistic, but in reality, exactly how many people at the age of consent now, which is 18 for all intents and purposes, are able to carry their own weight plus the weight of those around them? Very few, to say the least. I know I wasn't at 18, and looking back, I see things in a different perspective.

[capturemyheartnow]

Thirteen---Because a lot of people are already having sex at that age. Morally speaking. I think 18 should be the legal age for all.

[HookedOnSalt]

The ones having sex at that age are doing it with other 13 year olds..

[capturemyheartnow]

@HookedOnSalt But still it is illegal.

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c

[Anonymous]

Leave people alone. Mexico 🇲🇽 has a 12 and up law in the rural areas. We are letting people OUT of jail, why are we looking to put people back in jail for what comes naturally. Stop trying to fight mother nature 😤. Was it Padme underage and look what happened and turn Anakin into Darth Vader all because he cannot be with a woman that he love. Let's call it not to piss off a Jedi Anakin law

[J9inva]

When Ruth Bader Gingsberg was a top lawyer for the ACLU she advocated for the age of consent to be lowered to 12

[yofuknutz]

I don't blame her and I don't agree with her on a lot of things but on that one thing I agree with her for wasting law enforcement resources on kids fucking around I mean come on don't we have better things to do than to lock up kids doing what comes naturally

[J9inva]

@yofuknutz Well under her proposal a 12 year old girl could consent to have sex with a 40 year old man. Not just a 13 and 12 year old boy and girl having sex.

[jman46241]

18 as it generally is anyway..

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c

[omgjassy]

It should be 18 everywhere

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c

[Anonymous]

18, when you're legally an adult.

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c

[krg23krg]

18. as it is now.

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c

[dudeman]

i think 18 is fine.

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c

[NaughtySarah]

16!!

[MotickulaR-HAHA]

It should be 17.

[Dred1614returns]

Eighteen.

[yofuknutz]

https://youtu.be/kc5SfiB6__c