Some In Norway Think Age Of Sexual Consent Should Be Lowered From 16 To 14

[matcom]

<snip>

Defense lawyer Arve Opdahl believes that age of sexual consent in Norway should be lowered from 16 to 14 to reflect the changing norms of modern society, newspaper Adresseavisen reports. Many of Norway's Nordic neighbors already have lower limits but there is no sign that the law is about to change here.

"Research, among others the report "Young in Norway", shows that in the last ten years much has happened with sexual activity among youth. Girls now have their sexual debut nearly a year earlier than a decade ago and the age for boys is also sinking. When we know that 12 percent of today's 14-year-old girls have already had sex the law is not in step with society," Opdahl told the newspaper.

Authorities now begin investigation and charges as soon as it is learned that one sex partner is under 16, even if the minor wants to have sex and does not want the partner prosecuted.

"So one may traumatize an experience that the person concerned has not felt was a problem. I have had several cases where young girls have despaired over a somewhat older partner being punished," Opdahl said. "Sexual activity that has not been voluntary shall of course still be punished."

Professor Bente Træen told newspaper VG that she agrees with the suggestion.

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article872110.ece

[Mizmoon]

1. Disagree

14 is too young to negotiate that kind of relationship with an adult. IMHO, of course.

[Guy_Montag]

3. I think the Netherlands has an age of consent at 12

which while, imho, is far too young - it probably reflects society far better than an aoc of 16.

[JuniorPlankton]

4. You are thinking about the American youth

Which is irrelevant in Europe. Believe me.
(I don't know if 14 is appropriate there, but it's a different world.)

[asthmaticeog]

7. But...

is 14 too young for a European kid to negotiate that kind of a relationship with, say, a 15 or 16 year old?

I seriously doubt any of this 12 percent of sexually active 14yos in Norway are schtupping full-fledged grownups. I think a 14yo girl would consider the thought of doing a 35yo man to be icky beyond consideration.

[Mizmoon]

10. When people use the phrase "age of consent"

I kind of assume they are talking about sex between what is legally considered an adult and a teenager. That's because I am under the impression that if two 14-year-olds are having sex, no one is legally prosecuted.

I realize it gets sticky when we're talking about sex between a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old - but maybe we need two tiers of law ... one for "molestation" type activities, and the other for "s/he's a little too young for this" activities.

[asthmaticeog]

11. Exactly.

You know, this is how NAMBLA came to be? It formed as a reaction to cases where young men who'd reached the age of consent were prosecuted and imprisoned for homosexual relationships with partners one year younger. That it's turned into a networking club for pedophiles is unfortunate (understatement of the century, I know), but the point remains that singling out a chronological age where one can say "Happy birthday, what was reprehensible yesterday is OK now" is absurd. See eyesroll's post below - there needs to be wiggle room, where a range of a few years exists as a buffer against such stupidity.

And again, it needs to be stressed that we're talking about Europe, not America where a great many people don't reach emotional maturity until age 25 or so, if they ever do. :eyes:

[eyesroll]

13. I started college at 17, and one of the security guys

went out of his way to tell me that the age of consent in Wisconsin was 18 (it was a small campus, so word that hedges and I were seeing each other traveled fast). Not that he was going to bust us or anything -- he just got kicks out of watching students squirm. (He did also tell us that oral sex was legal in WI.)

Theoretically, on Sept. 26, 1993, my BF was guilty of third-degree sexual assault of a minor (I think that's how it's classified in WI if the minor is over 16); on Sept. 27, all was well.

[eyesroll]

12. In some states, both underage partners can get prosecuted

It's sad -- they can be branded sex offenders for life (theoretically -- especially if they're gay or were found to be committing "sodomy" as well) for doing what millions of other teenagers do every day.

[slipperduke]

2. That purple dinosaur.

It's so sinister when it's juxtaposed with a story like this.....

[Nomad559]

5. Legal Age of Consent

http://ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm

[eyesroll]

6. 14? Eek.

Age of consent is a difficult topic -- on one hand, it's never really stopped anyone from having sex; on the other hand, adults shouldn't be having sex with 14-year-olds, period. We need a happy medium.

I do support "Romeo and Juliet" laws, though (or Romeo and Romeo or Juliet and Juliet laws -- too many of these exemptions don't apply to same-sex couples) that exempt teens from prosecution if the sex is obviously mutually consentual and the age difference is less than two or three years. There have been cases in which both underage partners were prosecuted, and there have been cases in which the boy was, the girl wasn't, but both were breaking the law. I don't think anyone should be labeled a sex offender for doing what plenty of teens do.

[Phillycat]

8. Agree.

I think anyone with common sense can agree that there is a huge difference between two 14-year olds having mutually consensual sex and, say, a 30-year old having sex with a 14-year old. The latter case is, in my opinion, unacceptable in a civilized society, for the simple reason that a 14-year old is not emotionally or mentally equipped to distinguish between consent, manipulation, coercion, and emotional consequences from a relationship with a full-grown adult.

[LynneSin]

9. In the only defense of this article....

....European children, especially in Western Europe, have probably been educationed in Sex & Reproductive health about 2000 times better than children the same age here in America. American schools have to fight tooth & nail just to have any sex education in the classrooms and then it's the basics like "Just Say No" with no additional information about important stuff like birth control. Whereas in most western Europe countries, these kids are pretty much taught at an early age about sex education and I know they don't have fundies forcing their warped views about sex in our public school classrooms.

However, 14 still does seem young, but I'd have more confidences in 14yo making the right sexual choices any day over 14yo here in America!