The age of consent

[JFKvsNixon]

In healthcare many children are judged competent on whether they can consent to treatment or not. The child is judged as an individual rather than by their age under the Gillick competence ruling in the house of lords.

[jonjo2]

any thoughts of having it reduced? To 15 maybe? Do you think overall 16yr olds are prepared and responsible

 

 

i think the question for me is mentality rather physicality. Are our children sufficiantly prepared at the present aoc? Are they well in advance of us oldies when we were younger?

 

no def not

[Isabelle]

In healthcare many children are judged competent on whether they can consent to treatment or not. The child is judged as an individual rather than by their age under the Gillick competence ruling in the house of lords.

 

I do partly agree, it should be judged on an individual basis. I do believe we should retain some 'age of consent' to protect vulnerable people from abuse and coercion, and I think it should not lower than 16, even 18.

[epiphany]

Perhaps we should engage more teenagers in the debate and get a better idea what THEY think the age of consent should be.

 

Frankly, I would have been insulted at 14/15 if you'd told me I wasn't in a position to make, and take responsibility for my own decisions, whether sexual or otherwise.

 

However, there are vulnerable people out there who need waking up to their own sense of individuality after years of being hammered into a one-size-fits-nobody education system.

[MrSmith]

Perhaps we should engage more teenagers in the debate and get a better idea what THEY think the age of consent should be.

 

Frankly, I would have been insulted at 14/15 if you'd told me I wasn't in a position to make, and take responsibility for my own decisions, whether sexual or otherwise.

 

However, there are vulnerable people out there who need waking up to their own sense of individuality after years of being hammered into a one-size-fits-nobody education system.

 

Me too, some people just like to be controlling, marrying their kids off at 12/13/14/15 is the opposite side of the coin to rapping them in cotton wool and banning them from making their own choices in life. Both think they are doing it for the benefit of the young people without considering what the young people want. Young people should be guided through life not pushed, pulled, or banned from making their own decisions.

[skinz]

Me too, some people just like to be controlling, marrying their kids off at 12/13/14/15 is the opposite side of the coin to rapping them in cotton wool and banning them from making their own choices in life. Both think they are doing it for the benefit of the young people without considering what the young people want. Young people should be guided through life not pushed, pulled, or banned from making their own decisions.

 

At what point as a parent do you or have said..'nope, that's not going to happen', to your child?

[skinz]

Blimey I can't believe 4 people have voted for 18 to be the age of consent, what percentage of the population would that put on the sex offenders register

 

Non unless you applied yestedays law to the new law. What's interesting is the 2 "no limitations" votes.

[cressida]

I voted for 17

[MrSmith]

At what point as a parent do you or have said..'nope, that's not going to happen', to your child?

 

I can’t think of a situation in which I ever said that.

[JanP]

I really can't see any circumstance in which a 14 year old can alone take responsibility for their own decisions and the consequences of their actions. A 14 year old girl who gets pregnant risks her education and places an emotional and financial burden on her parents and society at large. The same might be said about a 16 or 18 year old but at least there is more of a chance they might provide for a child as an independent adult. If a 14 year old boy gets a girl pregnant he can not provide for that baby.