Spot The Difference, Consensual Adult And Adult...

In England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales we have to be 16 or older to have homosexual (gay) or heterosexual (straight) sex. A boy who has sex with a girl under 16 is breaking the law. Even if she agrees. If she is 13-15, the boy could go to prison for two years. If she is under 13 he could be sentenced to life imprisonment. A girl aged 16 or over who has sex with a boy under 16 can be prosecuted for indecent assault. (BBC Advice)

Originally in the 19th century, the consent age for sex was 12 in England. Through different acts, this was eventually raised to 16 in 1885. In 1917 a bill raising the age of consent in Great Britain and Ireland from 16 to 17 was defeated by only one vote. The male homosexual age of consent in the United Kingdom was set at 21 in the Sexual Offences Act of 1967, lowered to 18 in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and then finally lowered equally to 16 in England and Scotland in the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act of 2000.

So why does the legal age for sex in the UK still remain at 16? Admittedly everyone matures at different rates, but why is 16 considered mature enough to start having sex? In a single rape case (where the crime has only been committed once), these are the punishments; 

Starting Points: 10 years custody if the victim is under 13

Sentencing Ranges: 8-13 years custody

Starting Points: 8 years custody if the victim is 13 or over but under 16

Sentencing Ranges: 6-11 years custody

Starting Points: 5 years custody if the victim is 16 or over

Sentencing Ranges: 4-8 years custody

Rape is rape no matter what your age is, but the punishments loosen up the older the victim is. Is this because its not as emotionally, mentally or physically damaging for an over 16 to be raped than it is for someone under 16? I don't think so. Should the legal age of consent be raised, and if so, to what age? How can you put a "correct" age on something that varies so widely among different people. I conducted a small social study among my friends to find out (anonymously) the age they were the first time they had sex. The majority answer was between the ages of 15-17. However a few friends did admit that they didn't feel ready and some even said that they only reason they had sex was because of peer pressure. Some friends even admitted that they felt used and even unloved after their first time.

People will always have sex regardless of their age if that's what they want to. I don't think any government power can stop that. But what the government does have the power to stop is rapists getting away with their crimes. People have had numerous different experiences of sex and, depending on whether they were good or bad experiences, that will then effect their view on the legal age being raised. One female friend of mine feels that based on previous experiences she would like the age to be raised, simply to give others the protection she wished she could of had. Yet, a male friend of mine thinks that the legal age is alright where it is. He says: 

"that's the sort of age when people should start to experience that sort of thing provided they're sensible and if they're not then they're going to regret it"

In many ways he's right. If you are with a person that you love and care about, who's to say when you're at the right stage to have sex?

As always, please comment and tell me your thoughts on this latest blog.