What Do You Think Of The Age Of Consent In Britain, Should It Be Higher ed, Lowered Or Stay The Same?

Question

Since The UK Has The Highest Teen Pregnancy Rate In Europe What Do You Think? Do Teens Assume As The Age Of Consent Is 16 That They Must Be Able To Take Care Of A Child From That Age? Is It Too Low? Are 16 Year Old's Too Emotionally Immature To Be Having s*x? Is s*x Education Poor In This Country?

Whats Your Oppinion?

Answer 1

I think better s*x education would solve the problems.

Our whole culture has got s*x to be some taboo subject whereas if you look at a country like Holland all kids have s*x ed from a very young age and their teen pregnancy rates are much lower.

I don't think there's much point in raising the age limit because quite honestly it's instinct making people want s*x.

Answer 2

First things first yes the age of consent is 16 but many of the teen mums are actually under 16.

Speaking from the point of view of a a 17 year old girl who has just recently left school. Teens who are 16 don't think to themselves the day they turn 16 "oh now im 16 im able to take care of a child". The ones who are sexually active (as not all 16 yr olds are) have s*x and can either by accident or because of their stupidity fall pregnant. Its not like they think oh i'll have a kid now im 16 and old enough to have s*x.

In terms of s*x education. In my opinion the reason that there are more teenagers engaging in sexual activity at a young age is because of what they are being told. A few years back my sister who was 13 at the time was given a leaflet telling her how to have s*x and what positions were best. And what to do if you fall pregnant or think you have an STI. When my dad phoned up the school to complain he was told that the school had received the booklets from the scottish govt and they were told to hand them out. Don't you think that by giving children these leaflets the govt are therefore encouraging them to have s*x.Also I read in a newspaper recently that the govt are going to start a new scheme whereby they are teaching nursury children s*x education. These kids are 3-4 years old. What ever happened to a free childhood? These children are far too young to be learning about such things. My little brother is coming up for five and I would be absolutely disgusted if he was to be taught such as he is a little boy who should be allowed to be a child first. Why would young children need to know about s*x? By teaching them younger they are being encouraged to try it. Because think about it... when you were a child and you were told not to do something what was the first thing you wanted to do? If such a policy was put into place it wouldn't be 12/13 years you would hear about having s*x it would be 7/8 year olds. So to answer you question I think there is nothing wrong with the age of consent, I think the solution to lower rates of teenage pregnancies and lower STI levels is for the govt to stop encouraging children to engage in sexual activity.

Answer 3

Does it matter? no one seems to take much notice of it, a recent poll of teenage girls showed that most start at 14

s*x education might be the cause of the high teeenage pregnancies in this country

The problem with the age of consent is that it is not inforced, surely the age should be raised to at least 18 and that would be for everything

drinking,smoking,driving and s*x, it seems silly that there are so many differences and as for a law that bans you from buying cigarettes untill 18 but allows you to smoke them at 16. laws like that just encourage people to ignore them altogether

Answer 4

You mention it: the UK has by large the highest teen pregnancy rate in Europe (and still half that in the US...); but the age of consent is also one of the highest. In most Western European countries age of consent is 14, in almost all is no more than 15. And all have a teenage pregnancy rate that is half or a third (or even lower...) that in the UK.



"s*x talk 'reduces teen pregnancy rate'"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jan/04...

"Learning Dutch lessons on teen pregnancy"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1...

"the report adds that equally important is how these countries prepare their young people to cope with modern life.

Some countries, such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, and France, have “travelled far down the road from traditional values”, but they have also made “successful efforts to prepare their young people to cope with a more sexualised society.”

By comparison the United States and the United Kingdom are secretive and embarrassed about contraceptive services. "

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article...

Answer 5

Like Someone Else Said, Denmark Has A Lower AoC, And Lower Pregnancy Rates, So I Think That's Proof Enough That Whatever The Government Says Is an Ok Age For Teens To Have s*x Really Doesn't Make Much Of A Difference.  Whether Or Not They're Too Immature is An Individual Matter, Something That Can't Be Generalized.  s*x Education Could Probably Be Improved, But If I Remember Right, Teens In Abstinence Programs Actually Have A Higher Pregnancy Rate.  I'm Not 100% Sure Though.

Answer 6

Well, it definitely shouldn't be lowered. I think is should be at least 17. I know I wouldn't be able to take care of a child at the age of 16, and I highly doubt that most, I'm not saying all, but most 16-year-old girls wouldn't either. Also, would it be such a bad idea to enforce this law, at least slighlty? Somehow, I think far too much teens get away with having early s*x.

Answer 7

I think it should be higher ed to 18. Not that that would make any difference. I live in Britain and i'm 15. Some people at my school have had s*x and one girl lost it in year 8/9 (can't remember) and she just dumped her bf coz he wouldn't put out.

read this (its shocking but things like it happen at my school): http://evangeline-theconfessionsofateena...  

Answer 8

Ages are arbitrary. Denmark has a lower age and one of the lowest pregnancy rates.

Care to return the favor?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 9

16 is to low. 18 is better. They have finished school by then and had an education and are more worldy wise. But then there are thousands of kids in the UK who have had s*x under 16 and even though its against the law, do not get in trouble for it.

I dont think the education is poor but parents giving advice is. Kids just get advice from magazines and friends and not from the people who know best, their parents.  

Answer 10

It doesn't work on the age it's at now - why should it work if we changed it?

Under 18s are practically immune from the law, it doesn't matter what they do. I was 17 when I did it first, but wouldn't have cared if the legal age was 18. It doesn't stop under-agers drinking and smoking, it sure as h**l won't work for s*x.

And yes, I think s*x ed sucks in this country. But at the same time, I believe s*x ed should be taught by parents, not by the schools (to save the embarrasment of learning this in the company of your peers and therefore not concentrating much), so perhaps they should concentrate on teaching parents to teach kids s*x ed?

Incidentally, why do you start every word with a capital? lol, just wondering as it's very distracting! (don't take offense as I don't mean to offend)

Answer 11

Britain has half the rate of teen pregnancy's to the USA, and the consensual age is 18. What does that tell you?

Teens will do it whether the law says not to or not. 16 is the right age. No higher, no lower.

EDIT: To the answerer that said that "they have finished school by then", in the UK we finish school at 16. Going on afterwards is voluntry, and not all people do it.

Answer 12

Honestly, I don't think either highering or lowering the age limit will do diddly squat. Kids in this country have it in their heads, if they want to do something, they will do it, regardless of rules or laws. Think of a kid on a counsil estate. For the majority, they cause crime because they have nothing to do, s*x being a part of that. Because they don't see they have any way out of their humdrum life, they decide, "Why not do it at a young age?" I think blaming poor education is not an excuse - kids know having s*x unprotected causes pregnancy. Being taught earlier or later does nothing to this. I don't honestly know how Britain can get out of this situation it's in. I think some sixteen year olds are AS good as they would be at the age of thirty, being younger doesn't affect their abilty to bring up a child successfully. If you're going to suffer from postnatal depression at sixteen, you probably would at thirty and married. I would say that at sixteen, it is the minimum to be emtionally mature enough to cope with having s*x, however, having s*x for the first few times at any age is emotional.

Answer 13

16 is fine. Its the age you finish high school. Its the age you can enter full time employment. Its the age you start paying tax to work. Also a 16 year old can move out and/or get married at 16 with a parents consent.

Therefore, a 16 year old is seen as financially able to bring up a child and mature enough for the world of work. However, I'm pretty certain 16 year olds don't automatically think s*x means baby when they're having s*x. To them it means love, and like the generations of 16yr old mums before this generation (and yes, its being going on for a long time), they will learn the hard way if something goes wrong.

Every 16 year varies in maturity, and so does everyone at any age. You can't ban one very mature 16 year from having s*x on the thought that another 16 year old is as mature as an 11 year old.

And I think s*x education is perfectly fine, on behalf of the school. Most kids with/without their friends get curious and back up their info online these days (and have a giggle about it - but atleast they're learning).  However, they should really be enforcing it more on the years 7 to 9 as children enter pubity, as they only go into a lot more depth after children hit 14, and by then, it can be too late.

So to sum it up, 16 is fine. If it was to increase to 18, then there'll be more underage pregnancy as the age has been upt. If it was any lower, it'd be encouraging school children to think its OK to have s*x when they're still going through puberty and their *bodies* not as well equiped/matured to have a child.

Plus, how can a married couple at 16 still be classed as illegal if they wanted to have s*x?

Answer 14

im 17 and 33 weeks pregnant some 16 year olds are gd mums  

Answer 15

I know someone who is younger than that and she's a terrific mother to her daughter.  Anyway 16yr olds can be silly with this sort of thing but there are loads that are aware of the dangers and stuff.

I think s*x education here is rubbish (for want of a better word) i had s*x education last year and we had about half an hour on s.t.d's and s.t.i's which is the most important thing to learn about if you ask me! After that we had a test and none of us got 100% i think the highest was 20% which isn't very good i think they should improve the s*x education when that happens everyone should be aware and then they won't have to change the age of consent.