No to lowering age of consent

Published on Saturday 17 February 2007 00:26

SHOULD the age of consent be changed so that teenagers under 16 are no longer breaking the law if they have sex with each? Yes, says Dr Matthew Waites, of Glasgow University, who proposes lowering the age to 14 with a proviso that 14 and 15-year-olds could only have sex with someone less than two years older than themselves. He says this will make teenagers more mature and encourage them to use contraception.

It goes without saying that we should not criminalise young people who engage in consensual sex with a partner of a similar age and maturity. There is also a desperate need to reduce Britain's alarmingly high level of teenage pregnancy.

However, Dr Waites' proposal is not the way to achieve these goals. In fact, his idea would send out exactly the opposite message in terms of teenage pregnancy and put yet more pressure on young girls to engage in sex before they are mature enough to cope with the consequences.

As with the age limits for drinking or smoking, the age of consent for sex is society's way of warning off adults who wish to exploit the young. Inquisitive teenagers will ignore the age limit and the authorities should use common sense when enforcing the law. But putting out a sign to say "go ahead" is not the way to inculcate a sense of responsibility.