General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Is it okay for a 18 year old to have sex with a 14 year old [View all]markpkessinger
(8,412 posts)There is a point in development at which we recognize a person as being fully adult, having the ability both to think through and understand the consequences of his or her decisions, as well as to take responsibility for those decisions. Mammals protect their young, but at a certain point those young are expected to fend for themselves against predators (be they predators looking for lunch or predators looking to take sexual advantage). That's why we don't let people under 18 contract in their own name. Emotional/psychological maturity does not rise at a constant rate over our lifetimes. The rate of maturation in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood rises on a very steep curve, and then tends to level off as one becomes an adult. A 39-year-old, other than having a few more years of experience, isn't necessarily significantly more mature emotionally than a 30-year-old. There is no serious power differential between a 39-year-old and a 30-year old. such that will place the 30-year-old at any kind of unfair disadvantage relative to the 39-year-old. But with a 20-year-old and an 11-year-old, there clearly IS a major power differential, and the younger party clearly IS at a disadvantage.