Should the age of consent be raised to 20?

[beesley]

Big Abraham is absolutely right. 16 is a reasonable age, which is why nobody here has ever wanted to change it - what people have wanted to do is improve the quality of sex education and particularly encourage consent as a requirement in people's minds. Some people here might have puritanical views about sex - as do a small minority of British people who have always failed in their efforts. I respect those who wish to wait until marriage - but just raising it to an arbitrary age based on backwards and unhelpful attitudes or moral superiority does not do anything to solve real problems, like lack of consent and rape culture, addiction to and reliance on pornography, particularly as an self-educational tool, or an unwillingness to talk about difficult personal experiences with others.

[beesley]

Some people on this forum are such prudes it's incredible. Thank God none of you will ever be anywhere near the levers of public policy.

Agreed. Maybe they should just try it for themselves.