Hey, I recently saw some lawmakers pushing to raise the age of consent from 18 to 21āsupporters say itāll better protect younger teens from predatory adults, but couldnāt it also end up criminalizing normal 18ā20-year-old relationships? What do you think?
I think it's a singularly stupid idea that would not only criminalize normal relationships between people aged 18-20, as you say, but would arguably result in less protection for younger teens, not more. If a 20yo is legally held to be underage for sexual purposes, this puts them in the same minor category as someone who's 14 or 15, and in most places, statutory rape laws have exemptions in cases where both parties are underage. In other words: if the age of consent was raised to 21, then it would effectively legalise sex between younger teens and those aged 18-20 by removing the possibility of it being considered statutory rape.
It would also potentially pose a greater threat to victims of child marriage - a practice which is still legal in most US states, thanks largely to lobbying and obstruction by Republican lawmakers - as while those below the age of consent can be married with a guardian's permission, they are often legally prohibited from filing for divorce. So depending on how such a change to the age of consent law was constructed, it could potentially result in a situation where a victim of child marriage would be unable to legally divorce their spouse before the age of 21.
I absolutely think there's merit in increased legal protections for younger teens, but I don't believe that raising the age of consent would achieve this goal. Either way, it's my firm believe that the best way to keep teens safe is to provide them with comprehensive knowledge of consent, safe sexual practices and their own bodies, to undertake policies that combat misogyny and sexism, and to firmly outlaw child marriage.
