The age of consent refers to the age at which a person can legally consent to sex or marriage. Both of these things differ depending on what country you live in and which province or state you are residing. This can also depend on how old the person is that you are having sex with. The age of consent in certain places may be fourteen, but that still might mean that you can only have sex with someone who is between fourteen and sixteen. So if a seventeen-year-old sleeps with a fourteen-year-old that might still be considered illegal. And anyone over the age of eighteen who has sex with someone who isn’t the age of consent, even if that person is only a few years younger, the older person could be at risk of getting on a sex offender list.
As for marriage, the age of consent tends to be eighteen in most provinces/states, although with parental permission slightly younger couples can marry. Of course, these are legally recognized state marriages. There are all kinds of creepy religious marriages that are completely unethical and abusive because kids are being forced to marry at twelve-years-old. Marriage is a funny institution. I guess I’m relieved that there is such a thing as legal marriage because even though I don’t necessarily want to state to be able to intervene at any time, I also sure as hell don’t want religious leaders to have any rights over my union with my partner.
Age is an arbitrary thing and while there are very mature sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, the majority of teenagers at that age are not going to be mature enough to process many of the sexual experiences that they have and I’d argue to say that it is rare to find a teenager who is at all ready for marriage. I think the only thing that teenagers may have going for them in regards to early commitment is just not knowing what it all entails. I mean, at thirty-one I hardly feel like I have a handle on what it entails, but at eighteen I was a baby. I was young and immature and unsure of myself and unable to take stock from the experiences I had because I just didn’t have enough experience yet. And that’s okay. Eighteen-year-olds shouldn’t have to be as mature as thirty-year-olds. That’s why we live longer now than several hundred years ago. We don’t have to get married at fifteen anymore because our life span is so much longer and allows us to learn so much more about ourselves before we partner off.
1. The age of consent to get married should be twenty-five. How many marriages with couples younger than twenty-five do you know that actually last? Also, pre-marital counseling should be mandatory for all couples
2. I wish I was at the age of consent. I would totally have sex with my hot and totally built biology teacher. I’ve got to start wearing more plaid skirts.
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