Research Paper On Age Of Consent

The Age of Consent In a world controlled by social media and smart phones, today’s youth are exposed to far more information than previous generations with the simple click of a button. Children now are being introduced to more mature content at a young age. Sex, drugs, alcohol, sexuality, murder, and adultery are a few of the major topics that are heavily controversial in American Society. Through the entertainment industry, children are able to begin learning about these controversial issues as early as elementary school. Such knowledge opens up room for discussion and in some cases experimentation which raises the question of when a pupil has enough knowledge to make independent decisions for himself or herself.
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One particular case involved a 28 year old math teacher and a 14 year old female student. The teacher was tried and convicted of lewd acts with a child (NPR). However, this raises the question of whether the teacher was really at fault. Many agree that the relationship crossed professional boundaries, but opinions of whether the teacher created a criminal offense is heavily debated. The parents of the girl went on to sue the school system in a civil case. However, the defense attorney said that the girl was the one at fault because she consented to the sex knowing that she had not yet reached the legal age of consent. The defense attorney went on to say, “She lied to her mother so she could have an opportunity to have sex with her teacher…she went to a motel in which she engaged din voluntary consensual sex with her teacher. Why shouldn’t she be responsible for that?” (NPR). This statement makes a valid point. Age of consent laws refer to the age at which the younger party is legally able to give consent to sexual intercourse, so the minor who engages in the act is just as responsible as the adult. When it comes to the legal drinking age in the United States, those who are caught drinking by law enforcement prior to their 21st birthdays are charged with possession of alcohol as a minor. However, when it comes to sexual activity, only the older party is charged with a …show more content…
Those in favor of age of consent laws argue that the laws protect minors who are coerced into sexual activity that may otherwise not be ready to move on to that level. Many feel that once the age of consent is lowered, the age at which children start to be pressured by peers to have sex will lower as well (Barbra Ellen). For these supporters, the law protects children from being coerced into sexual activity by their older peers because throughout American history laws have been very successful in preventing minor from engaging in activity that they were not legally able to participate in, right? The law is another way to remove accountability from one consenting individual to another making he or she take sole responsibility for future