A wondered this question after I read Elexina's response to SeattleRon's question (the one about his goddaughter).

1. Do you think it should be illegal for people over 18 to be in a relashonship with someone under 18? Why?

2. Does it work the same way for both girls and guys?

3. Is this law frequently enforced, or do people not care? I saw Jailbait, and is it true that some people aren't even aware of the law?
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04-18-03, 11:47 PM
Kirby Lynn
I had to answer this only because statutory rape is something that has always left me boggled. The fact that they use "rape" to describe it is confusing, because I was under the impression that neither rape nor intercourse have to occur for it to be considered "statutory rape." I found [URL=this site]http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm[/URL] that outlines the "age of consent" for every country and state, it's a lot of information but it has a lot of specifics for each state and hopefully you'll be able to find something that can help you out.

I'd always wondered if intercourse had to take place in order for it to be illegal--I was in a short relationship with a 23-year-old guy but we never "did anything." And I wouldn't doubt if many people weren't aware of the laws.

04-19-03, 10:28 PM
Space Cadet from Planet Monkey
Do you think it should be illegal for people over 18 to be in a relation ship with someone under 18? Why?

Yes and No. I think it depends on the situation. Like if the person was 2, 3 , even 4 years older, then its ok. 5 years or older, I would be suspicious of the guy/girl's intentions.

Does it work the same way for both girls and guys?

That I dont know but I dont see why girl's wouldn't be in trouble for the same thing. I dont think that many girls would date anyone under 18 if they were 18 themselves unless the person was 1 or 2 years younger.

Is the law frequently enfored, or do people not care?.....is it true that some people aren't even aware of the law?

Yes there are some people that still dont know of this law and they usually are the one that get in trouble. Some probably dont care, some do. I dont know if its frequently enforced, but not where i live. There are 13 year olds out here that are with 29 year olds that they met online!!!

Remember this is my opinoin, and I dont mean to offend anyone, and Im sorry if I do.

~Amaris

P.S. to Kirby: Its statutory rape if the couple has intercourse, because one of the persons involved is a minor. The law is easier on those that are having intercourse with someone that is 16 and older. I guess because its closer to 18.

04-20-03, 01:01 AM
Yelena
Thanks for the good answer Space Monkey (lol).

I totally agree with you Kirby Linn. The law has always seemed ridiculous to me. It takes two to tango doesn't it?

04-21-03, 08:17 AM
Elexina
Yelena, this is a legal matter and it differs from state to state. It depends on what the "age of consent" is in each state. That means, at what age is a person considered old enough and mature enough to make their own decisions about sex and their lives. In some states the age is eighteen, in some it is fifteen. It all depends.

1. Do you think it should be illegal for people over 18 to be in a relashonship with someone under 18? Why?
As I said, this depends on the law in the state and the individuals involved. It is not illegal for someone over eighteen to have a relationship with someone under eighteen, but it may be illegal for them to have sex.
These laws are put into effect to protect young people. Many teenagers are not mature enough or responsible enough to understand all of the ramifications surrounding sex. And an older, friendly, sexy adult might take advantage of this.
Now here's the key, though. Some states have different levels of 'punishment' depending on the age of the two people involved.
For instance, in a state where the age of consent is eighteen and the man is eighteen and the woman is seventeen, and they are sexually active, the law might look leniently upon him because their ages are so close.
In that same state, a thirty-year-old man with an underage woman would not and should not be given the same leniency. He is a grown adult and has no reason to pursue a relationship with a teenager.

2. Does it work the same way for both girls and guys?
Again, this depends on the state law, but in general the answer is yes. A woman who seduces a boy or teenager would be subjected to criminal punishment. In some states it may not be "statutory rape" but "endangering the welfare of a minor," depending on how the statutes are written.

3. Is this law frequently enforced, or do people not care? I saw Jailbait, and is it true that some people aren't even aware of the law?
I'm sure some people aren't aware of the exact wording of the laws, but most people are informed. We all watch "Cops" and "Law & Order," we've taken Health class.
When I was in high school and college, the topic came up a great deal, as you can imagine, and I don't think there was anyone that was unaware of the laws regarding statutory rape and the age of consent.

In matters of the law, ignorance is no defense.

Kirby, it is called "statutory rape" because the statute determines the age of consent. If a woman has sex under the age of consent, even if she said yes, it is considered rape because she is not legally capable of consenting to sex. Yes, Yelena, it "takes two to tango," but when only one dance partner is legally capable of making the decision to tango, he or she will be punished for tangoing with the other dance partner, who cannot legally make that decision.

04-21-03, 02:54 PM
SeattleRon
I"ve always put a 2 year limit on myself when they are younger, especially when I turned 18.
Cause I've had friends who have gotten taken to the cleaners by dating minors. They get dumped and then blackmailed by the girls.
It's hard to tell how old someone is nowadays. I've hit on women whom i thought were 19 or older and then it turns out they are ONLY 15!

I think it's acceptable if your 18 to date someone only two years younger than yourself. Until you turn 18 yourself then it wouldn't matter if you dated someone 21 or 91.

04-22-03, 10:23 AM
Elexina
To play devil's advocate for a minute: What of two people who are in a committed relationship and have been for years? They began seeing each other when he was fourteen and she was twelve. The have been sexually intimate for a little while now, but then he turns eighteen. All of a sudden it's illegal? The presumption is that before they were eighteen, they were not old enough to really understand what was going on, but at eighteen he is suddenly supposed to know? And we assume that she doesn't know?
The age of consent is a good idea for most cases, to protect minors from predators and other bad folk, but in this case should the rules be bent?
Just looking for opinions on this.

04-22-03, 03:11 PM
SeattleRon
every relationship should be taken on a case by case basis. I suppose there are circumstances where a big age gap is acceptable. If it is a real relationship, and not just somebody trying to score with an underage person.

04-23-03, 10:20 AM
Elexina
I agree, Ron. There are a lot of things that should be taken on a case-by-case basis. The trouble is, you have to be fair and apply the laws evenly across the board. There's not a lot of room for subjectivity.

05-13-03, 07:24 PM
pschick9
1. i dont know if it should be illegal or legal, but i dont think they should be as harsh....b/c their are 2 ppl involved and yea maybe the person is younger but thats their desicion and its not our place to judge!! "There's only one true judge and that's God, so chill and let my Father do his job"
2.yea it worx both ways
3. if the ppl are caught yes its enforced


to kirby lynn ~~> the whole word rape..."you cant rape the willing" and "rape is involuntary!"

05-30-03, 09:18 AM
Ruthann
Yelena, I think your question has been answered, but to add my two cents:

There are 10 years between my husband and I. We started a sexual relationship when I was 17, so he was 27. Yes, it was illegal, but our circumstances were extremely against the odds. We were engaged, married as soon as I was 18, and are very happy.
People usually get in trouble when relationships go bad, Unless, it is the case of rape.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,