Template:Debate Guide:Arguments about adult-minor relationships

Age of Consent laws are a blunt instrument...

Against: It's wrong because it's illegal - Homosexuality was once illegal.
Problems with the Age of Consent - There are numerous flaws, listed on this page.

Against: Legal pragmatism - It is wrongly argued that high Ages of Consent are "pragmatic".

Against: There is no law that prohibits minors - Nonsensical argument claiming minors are already sexually emancipated.

Myths and bad meta-ethics plague discussions of expressed adult-minor sexuality...

Against: All child molesters are pedophiles - This belief is demonstrably false.
Against: "Stranger danger" or "It could be anyone" - Two conflicting "expert" opinions (both unfounded, abused to incite fear).
Against: If we could only save one child - Negative utilitarianism is discredited and nonsensical meta-ethics.
Against: Sexualisation and objectification - Sex/physical relationships needn't be all-consuming .
Against: Sexual inexperience - When is supposedly the "best time" to gain life experience?

Levels of harm are exaggerated and the sources are completely misunderstood...

Against: Power disparity/Stockholm Syndrome - Differences in power are not automatically inductive to abuse.
Against: Profound and lifelong scarring - These characteristics are atypical and not intrinsic.
Against: Doomed from the beginning - Will adult-minor relationships really die off as the youngster grows older?
Against: Recidivism is highest among child sex offenders - Demonstrably false.

Other societies and species are points of interest...

Nonhuman relatives - Other species' adult-juvenile sexuality.
Historical nonadult-adult sex - Historical precedent for adult-minor sexual emancipation.

Many people also speak from direct experience...

Navigation menu