Should the age of consent be raised to 20?

[Sestak]

No. Adults are adults, and I’d be more worried about them being manipulated into joining the military than them being manipulated into sleeping with someone.

It's kind of weird seeing this sort of thing from a D-NJ to be honest, LOL.

Why’s it wierd for a Democrat from New Jersey to say what I said?

This thread was made in response to another D-NJ avatar proposing the age be raised. Plus S019, who is also D-NJ, has the reputation of being the most prudish poster on this web site.

[Sestak]

I'd support an "absolute" age of consent around 25, with consent for lower ages being based on age ranges (say, 1 year for 15-year-olds, 2 years for people aged 16 or 17, 3 years for people aged 18-20, and 5 years for people aged 21-24).

I dont think this is particularly enforceable. You are suggesting for example high school seniors who date sophomores would be violating the law as would college undergraduates who are in relationships with grad students. Plenty of people marry before they are 25. I'm guessing this is based on brain development but by this reasoning there probably should be a maximum age of consent so that you dont have 50 year olds marrying 80 year old widows to inherit their fortune or whatever.

I'm open to tweaking the numbers around a bit (and this definitely is the kind of policy where I'd want the input of developmental psychologists) but I think the overall principle is sound. Tbh having been a grad student very recently, the idea of dating an undergrad seemed absolutely beyond the pale to me (especially given that grad students are also usually TAs, the potential for toxic power dynamics is huge). I don't see why that's something we'd want the law to protect.

In what university are grad students allowed to pursue relationships with undergraduates who they directly supervise? No one is arguing that they have to allow this.

[Sestak]

If no one would have sex outside of marriage, this wouldn't be an issue.

Yes. If no one drove cars traffic accidents wouldn’t be an issue, and if no one consumed any fuel or electricity or products manufactured with them climate wouldn’t be an issue. However, based on context this thread seems to be focusing on the real world, where none of this will ever be relevant.