Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Age of consent

2009-01-12T02:56:59Z

User123: i corrected the ages of consent for the us states and cited the exact laws (in the summary), please don't add legal information on conservopedia if you haven't studied the specific laws in detail

The '''age of consent''' is a legal and moral principle, and it establishes an age at which a person is capable of giving informed consent for legal contracts with other individuals. The age of consent varies depending on jurisdiction. Although age restrictions exist for many contracts like marriage and military service, "age of consent" usually refers to the age restricting consensual sex.

Not being competent to make moral choices absolves minors from (adult) guilt if they commit certain crimes. Either their parents will be held responsible, as in case of theft or vandalism, or the child will simply be considered "too young to know better".

Children typically cannot enter into binding contracts, are not permitted to drive cars on public roads, join the armed forces or get married. In the [[United States of America]], however, a parent may permit their 17-year-old child to join the armed forces. Various states in the U.S. differ as to what age a minor must be before their parents can permit them to marry.

When an adult has sexual intercourse with a minor, this is considered [[statutory rape]] because the child is not old enough to make such a weighty decision as to enter into a sexual relationship. The age of consent for this decision varies.

==Historically==
Historically, the age of consent was the age of Mitzvah. 13 for males, Bar Mitzvah. 12 for girls, Bat Mitzvah. The Bible and Koran say nothing about age of consent. In fact, "From the age at which Hebrew maidens became marriageable, it is possible that Mary gave birth to her Son when she was about thirteen or fourteen years of age. No historical document tells us how old she actually was at the time of the Nativity."<ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm (Catholic Encyclopedia)</ref>

200 years ago in The United States, the age of consent was 10 years old and it was common for girls in farming communities to mary at that age. It was only recently that it was raised to 18.

==Age of consent in law==
In law the age of consent is the age at which a person is deemed to be competent to give consent to an activity, such as sexual intercourse or medical treatment, which would be otherwise be unlawful without [[informed consent]].

The age of consent is one of several legal principles that govern the rights and responsibilities of minors in [[common law]] systems, such as:
*The ''age of license'' is the minimum age that a person must obtain to be permitted to undertake an activity, such as driving a motor vehicle on public roads.
*The ''age of criminal responsibility'' is the age at which a person is deemed to be fully responsible for their criminal actions.
*The ''age of majority'' is the age at which a person is deemed to have the rights and responsibilities of an adult and the age at which parental rights and responsibilities cease.

==American States/Territories and their Corresponding Age of Consent==
Worldwide, the average age of consent is 16.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm</ref>

[[Puerto Rico]] sets the age of consent at 14 and all 50 [[US]] states have age limits of '''16''', '''17''' or '''18'''. Most states have "close in age exemptions" which allow those under the age of consent to engage in sexual activity with teenagers close to their age (if the age difference between the partners is small, for example 3 or 4 years or if the older partner is younger than a specified age, ussually 18 or 21).

{| width="80%" class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
![[Alabama]]
|16
![[Illinois]]
|17
![[Montana]]
|16
![[Puerto Rico]]
|14
|-
![[Alaska]]
|16
![[Indiana]]
|16
![[Nebraska]]
|17
![[Rhode Island]]
|16
|-
![[Arizona]]
|18
![[Iowa]]
|16
![[Nevada]]
|16
![[South Carolina]]
|16
|-
![[Arkansas]]
|16
![[Kansas]]
|16
![[New Hampshire]]
|16
![[South Dakota]]
|16
|-
![[California]]
|18
![[Kentucky]]
|16
![[New Jersey]]
|16
![[Tennessee]]
|18
|-
![[Colorado]]
|17
![[Louisiana]]
|17
![[New Mexico]]
|17
![[Texas]]
|17
|-
![[Connecticut]]
|16
![[Maine]]
|16
![[New York]]
|17
![[Utah]]
|18
|-
![[D.C.]]
|16
![[Maryland]]
|16
![[North Carolina]]
|16
![[Vermont]]
|16
|-
![[Delaware]]
|18
![[Massachusetts]]
|16
![[North Dakota]]
|18
![[Virginia]]
|18
|-
![[Florida]]
|18
![[Michigan]]
|16
![[Ohio]]
|16
![[Washington]]
|16
|-
![[Georgia]]
|16
![[Minnesota]]
|16
![[Oklahoma]]
|16
![[West Virginia]]
|16
|-
![[Hawaii]]
|16
![[Mississippi]]
|16
![[Oregon]]
|18
![[Wisconsin]]
|18
|-
![[Idaho]]
|18
![[Missouri]]
|17
![[Pennsylvania]]
|16
![[Wyoming]]
|18
|}

==Ages of consent for sex==

The '''age of consent for sex''' is the age at which an unmarried person is legally competent to submit to sexual intercourse. The median age for this in most countries seems to be 16 to 18, however ages ranging from 12 to 21 do exist. Some countries do not have age of consent laws but instead ban sex outside of marriage completely. To have sexual relations with someone below the age of consent is a crime (called statutory rape in some jurisdictions) because someone below the requisite age is considered, by law, incapable of consenting to the sexual act.

Age chart for selected Western countries [http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm]

{|border=3
|colspan=2| '''France''' || 16
|-
|rowspan=4| '''United Kingdom''' || '''England''' || 16
|-
| '''Wales''' || 16
|-
| '''Scotland''' || 16
|-
| '''Northern Ireland''' || 17
|-
|rowspan=3| '''USA''' || '''Indiana''' || 16
|-
| '''Texas''' || 17
|-
| '''Wisconsin''' || 18
|}

[[category:law]]

== See also ==

*[[Age of majority]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:law]]

Age of consent

2009-01-12T02:51:16Z

User123: age of consent is 16 in iowa Section 709.4, 2(c), (4), 17 in missouri art 566.034. 1, 16 in south carolina SECTION 16-15-140., 18 in utah art 76-5-401.2. and 18 in wyoming 14-3-105.

The '''age of consent''' is a legal and moral principle, and it establishes an age at which a person is capable of giving informed consent for legal contracts with other individuals. The age of consent varies depending on jurisdiction. Although age restrictions exist for many contracts like marriage and military service, "age of consent" usually refers to the age restricting consensual sex.

Not being competent to make moral choices absolves minors from (adult) guilt if they commit certain crimes. Either their parents will be held responsible, as in case of theft or vandalism, or the child will simply be considered "too young to know better".

Children typically cannot enter into binding contracts, are not permitted to drive cars on public roads, join the armed forces or get married. In the [[United States of America]], however, a parent may permit their 17-year-old child to join the armed forces. Various states in the U.S. differ as to what age a minor must be before their parents can permit them to marry.

When an adult has sexual intercourse with a minor, this is considered [[statutory rape]] because the child is not old enough to make such a weighty decision as to enter into a sexual relationship. The age of consent for this decision varies.

==Historically==
Historically, the age of consent was the age of Mitzvah. 13 for males, Bar Mitzvah. 12 for girls, Bat Mitzvah. The Bible and Koran say nothing about age of consent. In fact, "From the age at which Hebrew maidens became marriageable, it is possible that Mary gave birth to her Son when she was about thirteen or fourteen years of age. No historical document tells us how old she actually was at the time of the Nativity."<ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm (Catholic Encyclopedia)</ref>

200 years ago in The United States, the age of consent was 10 years old and it was common for girls in farming communities to mary at that age. It was only recently that it was raised to 18.

==Age of consent in law==
In law the age of consent is the age at which a person is deemed to be competent to give consent to an activity, such as sexual intercourse or medical treatment, which would be otherwise be unlawful without [[informed consent]].

The age of consent is one of several legal principles that govern the rights and responsibilities of minors in [[common law]] systems, such as:
*The ''age of license'' is the minimum age that a person must obtain to be permitted to undertake an activity, such as driving a motor vehicle on public roads.
*The ''age of criminal responsibility'' is the age at which a person is deemed to be fully responsible for their criminal actions.
*The ''age of majority'' is the age at which a person is deemed to have the rights and responsibilities of an adult and the age at which parental rights and responsibilities cease.

==American States/Territories and their Corresponding Age of Consent==
Worldwide, the average age of consent is 16.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm</ref>

Puerto Rico sets the age of consent at 14 and all 50 [[US]] states have age limits of '''16''', '''17''' or '''18'''. Most states have "close in age exemptions" which allow those under the age of consent to engage in sexual activity with teenagers close to their age (if the age difference between the partners is small, for example 3 or 4 years or if the older partner is younger than a specified age, ussually 18 or 21).

{| width="80%" class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
![[Alabama]]
|16
![[Illinois]]
|17
![[Montana]]
|16
![[Puerto Rico]]
|14
|-
![[Alaska]]
|16
![[Indiana]]
|16
![[Nebraska]]
|17
![[Rhode Island]]
|16
|-
![[Arizona]]
|18
![[Iowa]]
|16
![[Nevada]]
|16
![[South Carolina]]
|16
|-
![[Arkansas]]
|16
![[Kansas]]
|16
![[New Hampshire]]
|16
![[South Dakota]]
|16
|-
![[California]]
|18
![[Kentucky]]
|16
![[New Jersey]]
|16
![[Tennessee]]
|18
|-
![[Colorado]]
|17
![[Louisiana]]
|17
![[New Mexico]]
|17
![[Texas]]
|17
|-
![[Connecticut]]
|16
![[Maine]]
|16
![[New York]]
|17
![[Utah]]
|18
|-
![[D.C.]]
|16
![[Maryland]]
|16
![[North Carolina]]
|16
![[Vermont]]
|16
|-
![[Delaware]]
|18
![[Massachusetts]]
|16
![[North Dakota]]
|18
![[Virginia]]
|18
|-
![[Florida]]
|18
![[Michigan]]
|16
![[Ohio]]
|16
![[Washington]]
|16
|-
![[Georgia]]
|16
![[Minnesota]]
|16
![[Oklahoma]]
|16
![[West Virginia]]
|16
|-
![[Hawaii]]
|16
![[Mississippi]]
|16
![[Oregon]]
|18
![[Wisconsin]]
|18
|-
![[Idaho]]
|18
![[Missouri]]
|17
![[Pennsylvania]]
|16
![[Wyoming]]
|18
|}

==Ages of consent for sex==

The '''age of consent for sex''' is the age at which an unmarried person is legally competent to submit to sexual intercourse. The median age for this in most countries seems to be 16 to 18, however ages ranging from 12 to 21 do exist. Some countries do not have age of consent laws but instead ban sex outside of marriage completely. To have sexual relations with someone below the age of consent is a crime (called statutory rape in some jurisdictions) because someone below the requisite age is considered, by law, incapable of consenting to the sexual act.

Age chart for selected Western countries [http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm]

{|border=3
|colspan=2| '''France''' || 16
|-
|rowspan=4| '''United Kingdom''' || '''England''' || 16
|-
| '''Wales''' || 16
|-
| '''Scotland''' || 16
|-
| '''Northern Ireland''' || 17
|-
|rowspan=3| '''USA''' || '''Indiana''' || 16
|-
| '''Texas''' || 17
|-
| '''Wisconsin''' || 18
|}

[[category:law]]

== See also ==

*[[Age of majority]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:law]]

Age of consent

2009-01-12T02:40:15Z

User123: AOC: the sets the age of consent at: 17 colorado art 18-3-402(1) e, 18 delaware art § 770, 18 florida art 794.05, 18 idaho art 18-1508A. and art 18-6101., 16 indiana art IC 35-42-4-9, 16 iowa Sect

The '''age of consent''' is a legal and moral principle, and it establishes an age at which a person is capable of giving informed consent for legal contracts with other individuals. The age of consent varies depending on jurisdiction. Although age restrictions exist for many contracts like marriage and military service, "age of consent" usually refers to the age restricting consensual sex.

Not being competent to make moral choices absolves minors from (adult) guilt if they commit certain crimes. Either their parents will be held responsible, as in case of theft or vandalism, or the child will simply be considered "too young to know better".

Children typically cannot enter into binding contracts, are not permitted to drive cars on public roads, join the armed forces or get married. In the [[United States of America]], however, a parent may permit their 17-year-old child to join the armed forces. Various states in the U.S. differ as to what age a minor must be before their parents can permit them to marry.

When an adult has sexual intercourse with a minor, this is considered [[statutory rape]] because the child is not old enough to make such a weighty decision as to enter into a sexual relationship. The age of consent for this decision varies.

==Historically==
Historically, the age of consent was the age of Mitzvah. 13 for males, Bar Mitzvah. 12 for girls, Bat Mitzvah. The Bible and Koran say nothing about age of consent. In fact, "From the age at which Hebrew maidens became marriageable, it is possible that Mary gave birth to her Son when she was about thirteen or fourteen years of age. No historical document tells us how old she actually was at the time of the Nativity."<ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm (Catholic Encyclopedia)</ref>

200 years ago in The United States, the age of consent was 10 years old and it was common for girls in farming communities to mary at that age. It was only recently that it was raised to 18.

==Age of consent in law==
In law the age of consent is the age at which a person is deemed to be competent to give consent to an activity, such as sexual intercourse or medical treatment, which would be otherwise be unlawful without [[informed consent]].

The age of consent is one of several legal principles that govern the rights and responsibilities of minors in [[common law]] systems, such as:
*The ''age of license'' is the minimum age that a person must obtain to be permitted to undertake an activity, such as driving a motor vehicle on public roads.
*The ''age of criminal responsibility'' is the age at which a person is deemed to be fully responsible for their criminal actions.
*The ''age of majority'' is the age at which a person is deemed to have the rights and responsibilities of an adult and the age at which parental rights and responsibilities cease.

==American States/Territories and their Corresponding Age of Consent==
Worldwide, the average age of consent is 16.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm</ref>
{| width="80%" class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
![[Alabama]]
|16
![[Illinois]]
|17
![[Montana]]
|16
![[Puerto Rico]]
|14
|-
![[Alaska]]
|16
![[Indiana]]
|16
![[Nebraska]]
|17
![[Rhode Island]]
|16
|-
![[Arizona]]
|18
![[Iowa]]
|16
![[Nevada]]
|16
![[South Carolina]]
|16
|-
![[Arkansas]]
|16
![[Kansas]]
|16
![[New Hampshire]]
|16
![[South Dakota]]
|16
|-
![[California]]
|18
![[Kentucky]]
|16
![[New Jersey]]
|16
![[Tennessee]]
|18
|-
![[Colorado]]
|17
![[Louisiana]]
|17
![[New Mexico]]
|17
![[Texas]]
|17
|-
![[Connecticut]]
|16
![[Maine]]
|16
![[New York]]
|17
![[Utah]]
|18
|-
![[D.C.]]
|16
![[Maryland]]
|16
![[North Carolina]]
|16
![[Vermont]]
|16
|-
![[Delaware]]
|18
![[Massachusetts]]
|16
![[North Dakota]]
|18
![[Virginia]]
|18
|-
![[Florida]]
|18
![[Michigan]]
|16
![[Ohio]]
|16
![[Washington]]
|16
|-
![[Georgia]]
|16
![[Minnesota]]
|16
![[Oklahoma]]
|16
![[West Virginia]]
|16
|-
![[Hawaii]]
|16
![[Mississippi]]
|16
![[Oregon]]
|18
![[Wisconsin]]
|18
|-
![[Idaho]]
|18
![[Missouri]]
|18
![[Pennsylvania]]
|16
![[Wyoming]]
|18
|}

==Ages of consent for sex==

The '''age of consent for sex''' is the age at which an unmarried person is legally competent to submit to sexual intercourse. The median age for this in most countries seems to be 16 to 18, however ages ranging from 12 to 21 do exist. Some countries do not have age of consent laws but instead ban sex outside of marriage completely. To have sexual relations with someone below the age of consent is a crime (called statutory rape in some jurisdictions) because someone below the requisite age is considered, by law, incapable of consenting to the sexual act.

Age chart for selected Western countries [http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm]

{|border=3
|colspan=2| '''France''' || 16
|-
|rowspan=4| '''United Kingdom''' || '''England''' || 16
|-
| '''Wales''' || 16
|-
| '''Scotland''' || 16
|-
| '''Northern Ireland''' || 17
|-
|rowspan=3| '''USA''' || '''Indiana''' || 16
|-
| '''Texas''' || 17
|-
| '''Wisconsin''' || 18
|}

[[category:law]]

== See also ==

*[[Age of majority]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:law]]