|
For instance, In the UK the Legal age to Drive is 17, to Drink is 18 (However you can order a beer, cider or glass of wine with a meal if your over 16 and accompanied by an over 18) and to have consensual sex is 16. In the US the Driving age is 16 and the Drinking age is 21 while the sexual consent is 16-18 (Depending on the state). Do you think these are correct? What are they In your country? Should the ages be changed? I would quite like the Age of consent to be 15 (Although limited to close ages until they turn 17), the age of Driving to be 16 and the age of Drinking remains the same (In the UK anyway) So, what are your thoughts? (Please feel free to add relevant information or change incorrect information)
This question is marked "community wiki".
showing 5 of 7
show all
|
|
I don't think the laws on drinking should be so clear-cut. I think they should start out with very small amounts at ages as young as 13, and then be free by the age of 18. I realise that these laws would be very hard to enforce, but I think this kind of law may encourage children to be more responsible. I also think that it should largely be the parents' responsibility to make sure they don't go over the limit, as well as the child's. As for driving, I think the current law (at least in Australia) is fine. You can get a learner's permit at 16, and after having driven a certain amount of hours, you can then get a Provisional license, before moving on to a full license. I imagine other countries have very similar laws. For sex, I think that under the age of 18 it should be based on age difference between the parties (one or two years max), but after that, it's consenting adults. This coming from a 16 year old who rarely drinks alcohol (I've had the equivalent of maybe four or five beers in my life), is not yet sexually active (and with little interest in it any time in the immediate future), and who doesn't drive. So I realise my opinions are not the most valid out there, but I thought I'd put them out there anyway. |
|
Whatever the age, it should be the same for everything: Sex, porn, lotto, booze, military service, entering into a contract, gambling, etc. However, I also think after age 65, everyone should be given a driving re-test every year until they die. Oh, and students should be given mandatory classes on responsibly handling these things, because God knows the parents aren't teaching them. |
|
My dad always used to say "If you're old enough to cock a gun and blow some Iraqi's head off, you're old enough to hold a bottle beer" |
|
In Michigan the age of consent is 16. They should keep the driving age 16 and make the drinking age like it is in the Uk. You can drink with meals and privately under 18 in the UK I believe. |
|
In PR we have the same laws as in the States since we are technically part of it, not"yet" a state but it could be in a future :), I think they should change the drinking age to 18, you are full grown man/woman to join the army/navy/air force and you cannot drink. In here for some stuff you are considered an adult at 18 and for others they consider you a minor until u reach 21. But W/e the laws 99% of parents allow their kids to drink, mostly in familiar reunions and parties involving family members or close friends, heck most of the time they are not even 12. |
One of those are incorrect. In the US, most states' age of consent is 18. In fact, the only US state I can think of at the moment with a different age of consent is Nevada at 17. I think government shouldn't be involved at all. In the good old days, Rapists were killed and Men who slept with girls were expelled from towns.
Actually the age of consent is 16 in most states.
age of consent 16: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia
age of consent 17: Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Texas
age of consent 18: Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America#United_States
I just went on that Wikipedia page. The source Wikipedia gives on that section is http://www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_sex/statelaws_chart/statelaws_chart.html . That webpage includes this at the bottom: "Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Statutory Rape: A Guide to State Laws and Reporting Requirements, 2004.". It is outdated info so i'm not sure if it is right or not.
Sexual consent in the UK is 16 for girls and 17 for boys.
Sexual consent in the UK is 16 for both sexes...
I done a sex ed course in a youth club a few months ago and it is diffidently 16 for girls and 17 for boys, he said it was because are more mature than boys. (Could be only in Northern Ireland I'm not sure)
Yes, It must only be in Northern Ireland.