Anonymous on the case of lesbian girl charged with statutory rape.

[Ms. Toad]

57. I don't think you spend much time around high school students.

Particularly in this case, the 14 year old was in an IB program and taking classes with the upper class students, participating in varsity sports and other school activities together. That makes her a peer. And, since it appears the 18 year old was not in advanced classes, their intellectual levels were likely less than 4 years apart. I don't have a way to judge emotional levels - but having taught high school students for 11 years, and having raised a daughter who is now 22, I can tell you that the intellectual and emotional maturity levels (and the ability of an older student to coerce a younger one) vary tremendously from person to person. There are many 18 year old students who were less mature than some 14 year old students. I don't have to look outside my own family for that - I was far more emotionally mature at 12 than my daughter was at 19. She was more intellectually mature by the time she hit high school than I was through most of college.

What makes the most difference in the school years are the groupings. If 9th grade students are grouped with 10-12, they typically rise to the occasion. If they are left with the middle school students they typically don't mature quite as quickly. And - a similar dramatic change happens with 18 year olds in college - they rise to that level of maturity and a relationship between an 18 year old who has graduated and 14 year old (that is just starting) is a very different matter. But once you make the decision to put 9th graders with seniors, it is not realistic to impose criminal penalties for the pretty inevitable consequences of encouraging them to fraternize with each other.

"Hooking up" by the way, has specific connotations not applicable here. This was a romantic relationship between the two which involved sexual activity.

I know I'm out of touch with modern morals in believing that most high school students are not ready to engage in sexual activity - but even I don't believe it should be criminalized. I am shocked that anyone (particularly anyone on DU) believes that sexual activity between kids we have thrown together and told to socialize with each other ought to be criminal.