I think the age of consent should be raised. There are a few reasons why I make the argument, but the primary one comes from a program I watched some time ago. Every now and again, Dateline does a show on internet predators. This is when they set up a sting to capture pervs who want to get it on with a teenager. I don’t know why, but it made me think of when I was 19 and I hooked up with a 16 year old. Some people may see that as a cardinal no-no, while others may see it as no big deal. As I look back on it now, I still have the same sentiment as I did then, which is the latter of the two in the previous sentence. And the reason why I saw it as such is because, while technically I was an adult, I still had “teen” at the end of my age. This in itself got me to thinking how can one be, by law, deemed an adult but still hold onto that suffix? Isn’t that what being a teenager’s all about? That badge of honor behind your age. And when someone gives a description of you at that age, rarely do they say “an adult male/female”, they say, “a male/female in its late teens.”
We are neither physically, mentally, nor emotionally developed fully at that age, yet we are considered old enough to be sent off to kill or die because we can get a free college education out of it (which is the bait that hooks most of the naive [me included]). We are assumed smart enough to make conscious, long-term financial decisions in the instant a 30-second application is processed. Mature enough to choose the leader of our whole way of living for four years. Wise enough to rent out a place to lay our head all while abiding by the rules set out in the agreement, maintain its condition, and pay the monthly rent on time. We are deemed competent to make these huge decisions and be these things, yet we really aren’t. Now, I’m not saying that at age 20 for example, we will get that sudden burst of enlightenment and know it all, or even years beyond that for that matter. But at least ages 18 and 19 could be like what 11 and 12 is; a pre-teen stage so to speak. If they are called tweens, a name, then, should be established for that latter part of teen age. Almost like a pre-adult stage. Hey, insects have them.
Conversely, one can argue does that mean that 17, 16, or even 15 year olds shouldn’t be tried as adults in major crimes like murder and such? My answer to that is both yes and no. While I do believe that a 15 year old cannot process the true consequences of their one action, I do believe if that individual is a repeat offender, a point has to be made. You know at age 3 that if you get a spanking for doing something you’re not supposed to, chances are you’re not going to do it again. It may take a few times to get it through your head if it’s hard (like mine was), but unless you’re a glutton for pain then the point is made not long after a couple of sessions with the belt. Same can be said for teens in that matter. A proverbial spanking--- like a stiffer sentence--- should be implemented, but not equal to the caliber of what a conscious, 25 year-old may get. And then, being an adult at 18 is not even a universal standard. In some parts of the world, one can be married at 12, or drink at 15, or even deemed fit to fight a war at 11! How do you expect a child to make very adult decisions like that!?
Since us as Americans seem to set the standard for the rest of the world, I believe we should be the first to raise the age of what is considered adult. And although I haven’t done any research on the subject, I can bet that the age of consent was at first lower than finally being 18; established by some old, horny pervert who wanted to run up in his neighbors’ young, perky teen daughter without the stigmatism of being labeled as such. And I’m 100% positive that it was established by a man because if it were up to a woman (in a man’s case anyway) we wouldn’t be an adult until we were 55! I’m exaggerating, but you understand what I’m trying to say.
Now, I know I’m going to catch a lot of heat from our 18 and 19 year old readers, so let me be clear. To those of you that are mature beyond your years and are making rational, responsible choices, I applaud you. In no way do I discredit what you’re doing or your positive contributions to society based on what was instilled in you growing up, or you being able to tap into your own common sense. But there are too many of your peers that are quick to make it known that they are “grown”, but still are able to use poor judgment which affects more than just them. Being grown is more than being able to lease your own apartment and come and go as you please. It’s knowing that maybe you do need to set a curfew so that you can get up to go to work on time the next day. Being grown is when you sacrifice partying to save up for a car or to just pay your bills on time. It’s not about having the freedom to do whatever you want, but realizing the responsibility of what that freedom brings. Too many times have I seen many a young folks damage their credit, fall into a spiral of drugs and alcohol, and ruin their reputation by placing themselves in compromising acts which have damning effects all before the age of 21. Child stars, American Idol hopefuls, and the everyday person alike.
If we do recognize 20 as being adult, maybe we can thwart off 45 year old pervs from even messing with a naïve 19 year old because he’d still be dealing with a minor, give them time to transition into such a critical phase without the stigmatism of or basically throwing them into full-on adulthood, and most of all, let a teen be young and irresponsible for a few more years.
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