Roman Polanski arrested in Zürich

[Neil]

I'm not interested in legalities based on the outdated judeo-christian ethos.  If *I* judge the lad is consenting then I will proceed. 

That's a mistake.  Only I can judge.

[Grallon]

And why is it disingenuous to point out what other countries are doing?  From the following link it appears very few countries have an age of consent of 14 years:

14.. 16.. Is there such a difference in maturity between the 2?  I don't think so.  Both age groups are subjected to hormonal influences that aren't significently different from each other.  Therefore both age groups are submitted to similar influences.  Henceforth both age groups can experience life under similar conditions.  Thus the legal proscription is arbitrary at best.




G.

[Grallon]

That's a mistake.  Only I can judge.

Finally you've overplayed your hand sirrah!  Using an argument for the sake of using it disqualifies it, particularly when it is taken out of context.




G.

[Barrister]

14.. 16.. Is there such a difference in maturity between the 2?  I don't think so.  Both age groups are subjected to hormonal influences that aren't significently different from each other.  Therefore both age groups are submitted to similar influences.  Henceforth both age groups can experience life under similar conditions.  Thus the legal proscription is arbitrary at best.

Any set limit is going to be somewhat arbitrary, but there are some pretty big differences between 14 and 16 in terms of maturity and experience.  It's why we have the age to get a driver's license set at 16, for example.

[garbon]

14.. 16.. Is there such a difference in maturity between the 2?  I don't think so.  Both age groups are subjected to hormonal influences that aren't significently different from each other.  Therefore both age groups are submitted to similar influences.  Henceforth both age groups can experience life under similar conditions.  Thus the legal proscription is arbitrary at best.

G.

While I agree with BB that there are some differences, I'll agree with you here and push that the minimum age should be pushed up to 18.  The differences between 14 and 18 and even 16 and 18 are generally great.

[MadImmortalMan]

http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/BRAIN.pdf

http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/the-teen-brain.html

[Neil]

That's a mistake.  Only I can judge.

Finally you've overplayed your hand sirrah!  Using an argument for the sake of using it disqualifies it, particularly when it is taken out of context.

I've overplayed nothing.

The fact of the matter is that society will not function if everybody just does their own thing.  The only way to run things is to have me decide on an age where sexual contact is allowed, and then enforce my laws with murderously brutal punishment.

[DontSayBanana]

While I agree with BB that there are some differences, I'll agree with you here and push that the minimum age should be pushed up to 18.  The differences between 14 and 18 and even 16 and 18 are generally great.

Even between 14 and 16 there are noticeable changes in maturity; a freshman in high school and a junior in high school would behave very differently from each other- maybe not as radically as at the first onset of puberty, but the change would be noticeable.

At 18, there's simply a higher likelihood that they'll be mature enough to be cognizant of the decision that they're making- even then, modern psychology accepts that females don't hit full mental maturity until 21 years on average, and further to 24 years on average for males.

[merithyn]

14.. 16.. Is there such a difference in maturity between the 2?  I don't think so.  Both age groups are subjected to hormonal influences that aren't significently different from each other.  Therefore both age groups are submitted to similar influences.  Henceforth both age groups can experience life under similar conditions.  Thus the legal proscription is arbitrary at best.




G.

There is a huge difference between 14 and 15, much less 14 and 16. You may be too old to remember, G, but at that age even one year makes a huge difference in how these kids view the world.

[merithyn]

Wouldn't you agree your boys are much more at risk of such emotional backlashes, by youths their age or slightly older, rather than by individuals older and more mature?  It is the youths who disreguard the guidelines and rules of society; far more so than older people who have had to live (and suffer) by them...



G.

Older people have had longer to perfect their manipulation skills than the young. That alone is reason enough to worry about my teenagers being with someone older.

[Jaron]

Wouldn't you agree your boys are much more at risk of such emotional backlashes, by youths their age or slightly older, rather than by individuals older and more mature?  It is the youths who disreguard the guidelines and rules of society; far more so than older people who have had to live (and suffer) by them...



G.

Older people have had longer to perfect their manipulation skills than the young. That alone is reason enough to worry about my teenagers being with someone older.

[PRC]

Older people have had longer to perfect their manipulation skills than the young. That alone is reason enough to worry about my teenagers being with someone older.

Yourself is that very older person, no?

[garbon]

Yourself is that very older person, no?

It is only proper that parents can manipulate their children...if that's what you are asking.

[DontSayBanana]

It is only proper that parents can manipulate their children...if that's what you are asking.

Which is why the general assumption by psychologists now is that there can be no genuine consent between an adult and a preadolescent or adolescent minor, especially in cases of incest- kids are almost hardwired at this point to be deferential (to a degree) to an adult.

[grumbler]

14.. 16.. Is there such a difference in maturity between the 2?  I don't think so.  Both age groups are subjected to hormonal influences that aren't significently different from each other.  Therefore both age groups are submitted to similar influences.  Henceforth both age groups can experience life under similar conditions.  Thus the legal proscription is arbitrary at best.

I guess ignorance can excuse this absurd contention, but no one who has had experiences dealing with 14-year-olds and 16-year-olds would make any such absurd contention.

Now, if one were to argue that 14-year-old girls are as mature as 16-year-old boys (or that the AoC should be two years higher for boys than for girls), that would be tough to argue against.