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]onpatrol98
(1,989 posts)You do have some really mature 14 year olds and some really immature 18 year olds.
But, if consent simply means a kid said, yes...that seems a bit empty if the 14 year old said yes because they were clueless and somehow manipulated by the 18 year old.
There's a lot of growing up that can happen in 4 years. Kids mentally mature at different ages.
True consent implies an understanding of consequences. I think many parents who have had a 14 year old would readily admit their child was fairly clueless about consequences. Now, maybe you're still clueless at 18, but at least you've had the benefit of 4 more years to get it together.
So, I say, yes. Keep it criminal and alert all kids. If you're 18 years old, go find someone else closer to your own age and understanding. And, if I'm a parent of an 18 year old interested in hooking up with a 14 year old, I want to understand the attraction. Because, to my mind, a 14 year old is a child. I want to make sure you're developmentally where you need to be. Maybe it's a normal attraction. But, maybe it's not. Even if it wasn't criminal, I would discourage it all cost. If the fascination is that strong, it'll still be there in 2 years. But, often it's not, and they'll be attracted to someone else in a month.