Minor-adult sex - Revision history

Thorn at 13:32, 25 July 2025

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	In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] by an adult also incurs strict punishment because it itself is considered child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->		In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] by an adult also incurs strict punishment because it itself is considered child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->

	The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[Age of Consent]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In England, the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>		The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[Age of Consent]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In England, the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). [[The Age of Consent (book)\|The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship]], Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>

	While sexual intercourse without consent is considered [[rape]], adult's intercourse with a person below the legal [[Age of Consent]], either with or without consent, is punishable under law with varying severity. In case of [[statutory rape]], consent by the minor is not considered as legal consent.		While sexual intercourse without consent is considered [[rape]], adult's intercourse with a person below the legal [[Age of Consent]], either with or without consent, is punishable under law with varying severity. In case of [[statutory rape]], consent by the minor is not considered as legal consent.

The Admins at 16:52, 31 March 2024

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	The [[Wikipedia:American Psychiatric Association\|American Psychiatric Association]] maintains the position that "children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults",<ref name="apaposition">[http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/rind/apa.html Leadership Council - APA Statement on Child Sexual Abuse] Quote: "...it is the position of the Association that children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults."</ref><ref name="delay">[https://web.archive.org/web/19991109182212/http://www.apa.org/releases/delay.html APA Letter to the Honorable Rep. DeLay (R-Tx.)]</ref> and condemns the action of the adult in strong terms: "An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a criminal and immoral act which never can be considered normal or socially acceptable behavior."<ref name="apaposition"/>		The [[Wikipedia:American Psychiatric Association\|American Psychiatric Association]] maintains the position that "children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults",<ref name="apaposition">[http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/rind/apa.html Leadership Council - APA Statement on Child Sexual Abuse] Quote: "...it is the position of the Association that children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults."</ref><ref name="delay">[https://web.archive.org/web/19991109182212/http://www.apa.org/releases/delay.html APA Letter to the Honorable Rep. DeLay (R-Tx.)]</ref> and condemns the action of the adult in strong terms: "An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a criminal and immoral act which never can be considered normal or socially acceptable behavior."<ref name="apaposition"/>

	A paper by [[David Finkelhor]] argued for "the importance of a stronger ethical position" than the belief that sex with adults causes harm to children. In his paper, Finkelhor calls into question what he considers to be three common arguments relating to "intrinsic harm", "premature sexualization" and "unnaturalness" of the act, describing them as both inadequate and lacking in solid empirical footing. Instead, he draws a parallel between Adult-child sex and sex between a therapist and a patient, stating that while there may be cases where the patient benefits, it should still be considered wrong due to the fundamental asymmetry of the relationship.<ref name="ACS-MHC"/>He wrote: "It is suggested that basing the prohibition of adult-child sex on the premise that children are incapable of full and informed [[consent]] will provide a more solid and consistent approach to the problem."<ref>Finkelhor, David. [https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1979.tb02654.x Finkelhor, D. (1979). What’s wrong with sex between adults and children? Ethics and the problem of sexual abuse. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 49(4), 692–697.]</ref>		A paper by [[David Finkelhor]] argued for "the importance of a stronger ethical position" than the belief that sex with adults causes harm to children. In his paper, Finkelhor calls into question what he considers to be three common arguments relating to [[intrinsic harm\|"intrinsic harm"]], "premature sexualization" and "unnaturalness" of the act, describing them as both inadequate and lacking in solid empirical footing. Instead, he draws a parallel between Adult-child sex and sex between a therapist and a patient, stating that while there may be cases where the patient benefits, it should still be considered wrong due to the fundamental asymmetry of the relationship.<ref name="ACS-MHC"/>He wrote: "It is suggested that basing the prohibition of adult-child sex on the premise that children are incapable of full and informed [[consent]] will provide a more solid and consistent approach to the problem."<ref>Finkelhor, David. [https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1979.tb02654.x Finkelhor, D. (1979). What’s wrong with sex between adults and children? Ethics and the problem of sexual abuse. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 49(4), 692–697.]</ref>

	=== Sex as non-abusive ===		=== Sex as non-abusive ===

The Admins at 10:49, 21 May 2023

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	:''See also: [[Research: Nonwestern Intergenerational Relationships]].''		:''See also: [[Research: Nonwestern Intergenerational Relationships]].''
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	=== Nonhuman comparisons ===		=== Nonhuman comparisons ===

The Admins at 14:20, 15 March 2023

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The Admins at 14:18, 4 March 2023

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	=== French petitions and letters ===		=== French petitions and letters ===

	In 1977, a petition was addressed to the French Parliament calling for the repeal of several articles of the age-of-consent law and the [[Age of Consent\|decriminalization]] of all consented relations between adults and minors below the age of fifteen (the age of consent in France at the time). The document was signed by many philosophers and intellectuals who were, or have come to be, incredibly influential, including [[Michel Foucault]], [[Jacques Derrida]], [[Jean-Paul Sartre]], [[Simone de Beauvoir]], [[Roland Barthes]], [[Gilles Deleuze]], [[Félix Guattari]], [[René Schérer]], novelist and gay activist [[Guy Hocquenghem]], and by "people belonging to a wide range of political positions".<ref>Foucault, Hocquenghem and Danet are referenced several times as petitioners in the Michel Foucault's text “Sexual Morality and the Law” ([http://www.ipce.info/ipceweb/Library/danger.htm online version in English]). The term “people belonging to a wide range of political positions” are mentioned on page 273.</ref><ref>The names of philosophers Jacques Derrida, Louis Althusser and André Glucksmann come from the [http://web.archive.org/web/20050404190912/http://www.decadi.com/dignaction/Fpetit.html Dignaction.org] website (in French). Finally, the names of philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Roland Barthes, as well as of the writers Alain Robbe-Grillet and Philippe Sollers, come from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20071013081728/http://www.denistouret.net/textes/Cohn-Bendit.html Denistouret.net] website (also in French).</ref> Similar sentiments were expressed by 69 signers of an open letter published January 26, 1977 in ''Le Monde'' concerning two men accused of violating France's age of consent law.		In 1977, a petition was addressed to the French Parliament calling for the repeal of several articles of the age-of-consent law and the [[Age of Consent\|decriminalization]] of all consented relations between adults and minors below the age of fifteen (the age of consent in France at the time). The document was signed by many philosophers and intellectuals who were, or have come to be, incredibly influential, including [[Michel Foucault]], [[Jacques Derrida]], [[Jean-Paul Sartre]], [[Simone de Beauvoir]], [[Roland Barthes]], [[Gilles Deleuze]], [[Félix Guattari]], [[René Schérer]], novelist and gay activist [[Guy Hocquenghem]], and by "people belonging to a wide range of political positions".<ref>Foucault, Hocquenghem and Danet are referenced several times as petitioners in the Michel Foucault's text “Sexual Morality and the Law” ([http://www.ipce.info/ipceweb/Library/danger.htm online version in English]). The term “people belonging to a wide range of political positions” are mentioned on page 273.</ref><ref>The names of philosophers Jacques Derrida, Louis Althusser and André Glucksmann come from the [http://web.archive.org/web/20050404190912/http://www.decadi.com/dignaction/Fpetit.html Dignaction.org] website (in French). Finally, the names of philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Roland Barthes, as well as of the writers [[Alain Robbe-Grillet]] and Philippe Sollers, come from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20071013081728/http://www.denistouret.net/textes/Cohn-Bendit.html Denistouret.net] website (also in French).</ref> Similar sentiments were expressed by 69 signers of an open letter published January 26, 1977 in ''Le Monde'' concerning two men accused of violating France's age of consent law.

	Another open letter was published in ''Libération'' in March, 1979, this time signed by 63 prominent French intellectuals, supporting a Frenchman accused of sexual relations with girls aged 6 to 12. According to the letter, the girls' "blooming shows before the eyes of all, including their parents, the happiness that they found with him."<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050404190912/http://www.decadi.com/dignaction/Fpetit.html 1977-1979 petitions and signatures] (in French), retrieved 4 April 2005</ref>		Another open letter was published in ''Libération'' in March, 1979, this time signed by 63 prominent French intellectuals, supporting a Frenchman accused of sexual relations with girls aged 6 to 12. According to the letter, the girls' "blooming shows before the eyes of all, including their parents, the happiness that they found with him."<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050404190912/http://www.decadi.com/dignaction/Fpetit.html 1977-1979 petitions and signatures] (in French), retrieved 4 April 2005</ref>

The Admins at 14:16, 4 March 2023

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	<!-- someone PLEASE make that heading better... I couldn't think of any better way to say it ATM. -->		<!-- someone PLEASE make that heading better... I couldn't think of any better way to say it ATM. -->

			Ibn Warraq writes that [[Prophet Muhammad]]'s example encourages the practice of child marriage in Muslim communities: "child marriages continue to be practiced, and the fact that the Prophet himself married Aisha when she was only nine and he was fifty-three encourages Muslim society to continue with this iniquitous custom."<ref name=MuhammadWife-note>Ibn Warraq, ''Why I Am Not a Muslim'', p. 320, Prometheus Books, 1995, 0879759844</ref>
	Ibn Warraq writes that Muhammad's example encourages the practice of child marriage in Muslim communities: "child marriages continue to be practiced, and the fact that the Prophet himself married Aisha when she was only nine and he was fifty-three encourages Muslim society to continue with this iniquitous custom."<ref name=MuhammadWife-note>Ibn Warraq, ''Why I Am Not a Muslim'', p. 320, Prometheus Books, 1995, 0879759844</ref>
	<!-- this paragraph needs to be cleaned-up, especially as it's currently a cut-n-paste from the CM article -->		<!-- this paragraph needs to be cleaned-up, especially as it's currently a cut-n-paste from the CM article -->

The Admins at 16:58, 26 February 2023

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The Admins at 16:54, 26 February 2023

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	::</ref><ref name="ACS-JSP">[https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/0047-2786.00002 "What's Wrong with Adult-Child Sex?" by Claudia Card (2002) from the Journal of Social Philosophy 33 (2), 170–177.]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist1">[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/baptists-criticize-implication-that-adult-child-sex-may-not-be-harmful/ "Baptists criticize implication that adult-child sex may not be harmful" by Don Hinkle from Baptist Press]</ref><ref name="ACS-NYTimes2">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E7DA1238F930A25755C0A96F958260 "Study on Child Sex Abuse Provokes a Political Furor" by Erica Goode from the New York Times]		::</ref><ref name="ACS-JSP">[https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/0047-2786.00002 "What's Wrong with Adult-Child Sex?" by Claudia Card (2002) from the Journal of Social Philosophy 33 (2), 170–177.]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist1">[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/baptists-criticize-implication-that-adult-child-sex-may-not-be-harmful/ "Baptists criticize implication that adult-child sex may not be harmful" by Don Hinkle from Baptist Press]</ref><ref name="ACS-NYTimes2">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E7DA1238F930A25755C0A96F958260 "Study on Child Sex Abuse Provokes a Political Furor" by Erica Goode from the New York Times]
	:: <small>''The authors also suggested that the term ''adult-adolescent sex'' or ''adult-child sex'' be substituted, in some cases, for ''child sexual abuse.''</small>		:: <small>''The authors also suggested that the term ''adult-adolescent sex'' or ''adult-child sex'' be substituted, in some cases, for ''child sexual abuse.''</small>
	::</ref><ref name="ACS-FFL">[http://fathersforlife.org/dale/pedophil.html "Is adult/child sex always abusive?" by Dale O'Leary from Fathers for Life]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081022113819/http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?id=14034 "Push for adult-child sex threatens society's moral fabric, Land says" by Dwayne Hastings from the Baptist Press]</ref><ref name=RichardGreen>[[Richard Green]]. "[https://www.ipce.info/library_2/files/green_asb_2002.html Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?]". Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 31, No. 6, December 2002, pp. 467–471.</ref> refers to sexual activity or intercourse<ref name="~~McCain1~~"~~>http:~~/~~/www.come-and-hear.com/editor/ca-wt-04-19-02<small>~~		::</ref><ref name="ACS-FFL">[http://fathersforlife.org/dale/pedophil.html "Is adult/child sex always abusive?" by Dale O'Leary from Fathers for Life]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081022113819/http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?id=14034 "Push for adult-child sex threatens society's moral fabric, Land says" by Dwayne Hastings from the Baptist Press]</ref><ref name=RichardGreen>[[Richard Green]]. "[https://www.ipce.info/library_2/files/green_asb_2002.html Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?]". Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 31, No. 6, December 2002, pp. 467–471.</ref> refers to sexual activity or intercourse<ref name="USAToday1" /> between an [[adult]] (a person over the [[age of consent]]), and a [[minor]], usually viewed as a person below the age of consent. In most industrialized western societies, minor-adult sex is considered [[child sexual abuse]] by a large majority of people. Societal views and legal ramifications have varied across cultures and throughout history.<ref name="USAToday1">[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/17/adult-child-sex.htm Robert Stacy McCain, Experts debate impact, gray areas of adult-child sex, ''USA Today'', 2002-04-17]<small>
	''Ms. Levine cites research about "happy consensual sex among kids under 12," and writes: "America's drive to protect kids from sex is protecting them from nothing. Instead, often it is harming them."''
	~~:: ''But researchers and activists say the book is only the most recent in a series of academic arguments for "consensual" sex involving children''~~
	:: ''In 2000, the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco published an article, "Sexual Rights of Children," saying there is "considerable evidence" that there is no "inherent harm in sexual expression in childhood."''
	:: ''San Francisco State University professor Gilbert Herdt, co-author of the 1996 book "Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Leading a New Way Out of the Closet," said in an interview with the Dutch pedophilia journal Paidika that "the category 'child' is a rhetorical device for inflaming what is really an irrational set of attitudes" against sex with children.''
	:: ''John Money, professor emeritus of psychology at Johns Hopkins University, gave an interview to Paidika about "genuinely, totally mutual" sex between boys and men. In the introduction to a Dutch professor's 1987 book called, "Boys on their Contacts with Men: A Study of Sexually Expressed Friendships," Mr. Money wrote that opponents of pedophilia are motivated by "self-imposed, moralistic ignorance."''
	:: ''Harris Mirkin, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, published a 1999 article in the Journal of Homosexuality complaining that boys who have sex with men "are never considered willing participants, even if they are hustlers." He has also written that "children are the last bastion of the old sexual morality."''
	:: ''A 1998 "meta-analytic" study in an American Psychological Association (APA) journal argued, among other things, that "value-neutral" language such as "adult-child sex" should be used to describe child molestation if it was a "willing encounter."''
	~~:: ''Ms. Levine's book favorably cites the Rind study and, in a telephone interview, she defended the study as "methodologically meticulous."''~~
	:: ''Academic defenses of sex between adults and children are not new. Indiana University professor Alfred Kinsey claimed in his famous 1948 and 1952 reports on human sexuality that "children are sexual from birth" and included charts of "data" gathered by pedophiles about the children they molested.''</small>
	~~::</ref~~> between an [[adult]] (a person over the [[age of consent]]), and a [[minor]], usually viewed as a person below the age of consent. In most industrialized western societies, minor-adult sex is considered [[child sexual abuse]] by a large majority of people. Societal views and legal ramifications have varied across cultures and throughout history.<ref name="USAToday1">[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/17/adult-child-sex.htm Robert Stacy McCain, Experts debate impact, gray areas of adult-child sex, ''USA Today'', 2002-04-17]<small>
	::''Sex researchers and academics are tussling over a topic that most Americans don't even want to think about: sex between adults and children. Some of these experts are making the startling assertion that not all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful.''		::''Sex researchers and academics are tussling over a topic that most Americans don't even want to think about: sex between adults and children. Some of these experts are making the startling assertion that not all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful.''
	::''But some serious researchers and academics want to review the term "child sexual abuse," preferring a more neutral term such as "adult-child sex."''		::''But some serious researchers and academics want to review the term "child sexual abuse," preferring a more neutral term such as "adult-child sex."''
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	:: ''But researchers and activists say the book is only the most recent in a series of academic arguments for "consensual" sex involving children''		:: ''But researchers and activists say the book is only the most recent in a series of academic arguments for "consensual" sex involving children''
	:: ''In 2000, the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco published an article, "Sexual Rights of Children," saying there is "considerable evidence" that there is no "inherent harm in sexual expression in childhood."''		:: ''In 2000, the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco published an article, "Sexual Rights of Children," saying there is "considerable evidence" that there is no "inherent harm in sexual expression in childhood."''
	:: ''San Francisco State University professor Gilbert Herdt, co-author of the 1996 book "Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Leading a New Way Out of the Closet," said in an interview with the Dutch pedophilia journal Paidika that "the category 'child' is a rhetorical device for inflaming what is really an irrational set of attitudes" against sex with children.''		:: ''San Francisco State University professor [[Gilbert Herdt]], co-author of the 1996 book "Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Leading a New Way Out of the Closet," said in an interview with the Dutch pedophilia journal Paidika that "the category 'child' is a rhetorical device for inflaming what is really an irrational set of attitudes" against sex with children.''
	:: ''John Money, professor emeritus of psychology at Johns Hopkins University, gave an interview to Paidika about "genuinely, totally mutual" sex between boys and men. In the introduction to a Dutch professor's 1987 book called, "Boys on their Contacts with Men: A Study of Sexually Expressed Friendships," Mr. Money wrote that opponents of pedophilia are motivated by "self-imposed, moralistic ignorance."''		:: ''John Money, professor emeritus of psychology at Johns Hopkins University, gave an interview to Paidika about "genuinely, totally mutual" sex between boys and men. In the introduction to a Dutch professor's 1987 book called, "Boys on their Contacts with Men: A Study of Sexually Expressed Friendships," Mr. Money wrote that opponents of pedophilia are motivated by "self-imposed, moralistic ignorance."''
	:: ''Harris Mirkin, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, published a 1999 article in the Journal of Homosexuality complaining that boys who have sex with men "are never considered willing participants, even if they are hustlers." He has also written that "children are the last bastion of the old sexual morality."''		:: ''Harris Mirkin, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, published a 1999 article in the Journal of Homosexuality complaining that boys who have sex with men "are never considered willing participants, even if they are hustlers." He has also written that "children are the last bastion of the old sexual morality."''
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	=== Sex as non-abusive ===		=== Sex as non-abusive ===

	Those who have disagreed with the majority viewpoint include philosophers, academics, writers, and pro-pedophile activists.<ref name="NudistHallofShame">http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/Okami.html</ref><ref name="~~McCain1~~"/> In the controversial 2002 book ''[[Harmful to Minors]]'', the feminist writer [[Judith Levine]] wrote that some scholars challenge the idea that all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful,<ref>Levine, J. (2003). Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, Thunder's Mouth Press</ref> and that in some cases, "quite young" people can have a positive sexual experience with an adult, referring specifically to "happy consensual sex among kids under 12."<ref name="~~McCain1~~"/>[[Psychology\|Psychologists]] Bruce Rind and Robert Bauserman argued in a 1998 study ([[Rind et al]]) that not all cases of minor-adult sex should be termed [[child sexual abuse]]. Authors of the study argued that "CSA does not cause intense harm on a pervasive basis regardless of gender.", and that "an important reason why the assumed properties of CSA failed to withstand empirical scrutiny in the current review is that the construct of CSA, as commonly conceptualized by researchers, is of questionable scientific validity." This study was officially "condemned" by the United States Congress, an event which marked the first time in U.S. history that Congress officially condemned a study published in a major scientific journal.<ref>[http://www.mhamic.org/rind/ Rind controversy]</ref>		Those who have disagreed with the majority viewpoint include philosophers, academics, writers, and pro-pedophile activists.<ref name="NudistHallofShame">http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/Okami.html</ref><ref name="USAToday1"/> In the controversial 2002 book ''[[Harmful to Minors]]'', the feminist writer [[Judith Levine]] wrote that some scholars challenge the idea that all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful,<ref>Levine, J. (2003). Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, Thunder's Mouth Press</ref> and that in some cases, "quite young" people can have a positive sexual experience with an adult, referring specifically to "happy consensual sex among kids under 12."<ref name="USAToday1" />[[Psychology\|Psychologists]] Bruce Rind and Robert Bauserman argued in a 1998 study ([[Rind et al]]) that not all cases of minor-adult sex should be termed [[child sexual abuse]]. Authors of the study argued that "CSA does not cause intense harm on a pervasive basis regardless of gender.", and that "an important reason why the assumed properties of CSA failed to withstand empirical scrutiny in the current review is that the construct of CSA, as commonly conceptualized by researchers, is of questionable scientific validity." This study was officially "condemned" by the United States Congress, an event which marked the first time in U.S. history that Congress officially condemned a study published in a major scientific journal.<ref>[http://www.mhamic.org/rind/ Rind controversy]</ref>

	== Impetus ==		== Impetus ==

The Admins at 16:29, 19 February 2023

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	In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] by an adult also incurs strict punishment because it itself is considered child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->		In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] by an adult also incurs strict punishment because it itself is considered child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->

	The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[age of consent]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In [[England]], the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>		The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[age of consent]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In England, the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>

	While sexual intercourse without consent is considered [[rape]], adult's intercourse with a person below the legal [[age of consent]], either with or without consent, is punishable under law with varying severity. In case of [[statutory rape]], consent by the minor is not considered as legal consent.		While sexual intercourse without consent is considered [[rape]], adult's intercourse with a person below the legal [[age of consent]], either with or without consent, is punishable under law with varying severity. In case of [[statutory rape]], consent by the minor is not considered as legal consent.

The Admins: /* Issues */

2022-08-28T00:10:21Z

Issues

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 28 August 2022
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	=== Issues ===		=== Issues ===

	In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] also incurs strict punishment because it itself ~~constitutes~~ child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->		In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] by an adult also incurs strict punishment because it itself is considered child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->

	The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[age of consent]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In [[England]], the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>		The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[age of consent]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In [[England]], the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:20, 15 March 2023
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	::</ref><ref name="ACS-JSP">[https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/0047-2786.00002 "What's Wrong with Adult-Child Sex?" by Claudia Card (2002) from the Journal of Social Philosophy 33 (2), 170–177.]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist1">[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/baptists-criticize-implication-that-adult-child-sex-may-not-be-harmful/ "Baptists criticize implication that adult-child sex may not be harmful" by Don Hinkle from Baptist Press]</ref><ref name="ACS-NYTimes2">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E7DA1238F930A25755C0A96F958260 "Study on Child Sex Abuse Provokes a Political Furor" by Erica Goode from the New York Times]		::</ref><ref name="ACS-JSP">[https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/0047-2786.00002 "What's Wrong with Adult-Child Sex?" by Claudia Card (2002) from the Journal of Social Philosophy 33 (2), 170–177.]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist1">[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/baptists-criticize-implication-that-adult-child-sex-may-not-be-harmful/ "Baptists criticize implication that adult-child sex may not be harmful" by Don Hinkle from Baptist Press]</ref><ref name="ACS-NYTimes2">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E7DA1238F930A25755C0A96F958260 "Study on Child Sex Abuse Provokes a Political Furor" by Erica Goode from the New York Times]
	:: <small>''The authors also suggested that the term ''adult-adolescent sex'' or ''adult-child sex'' be substituted, in some cases, for ''child sexual abuse.''</small>		:: <small>''The authors also suggested that the term ''adult-adolescent sex'' or ''adult-child sex'' be substituted, in some cases, for ''child sexual abuse.''</small>
	::</ref><ref name="ACS-FFL">[http://fathersforlife.org/dale/pedophil.html "Is adult/child sex always abusive?" by Dale O'Leary from Fathers for Life]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081022113819/http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?id=14034 "Push for adult-child sex threatens society's moral fabric, Land says" by Dwayne Hastings from the Baptist Press]</ref><ref name=RichardGreen>[[Richard Green]]. "[https://www.ipce.info/library_2/files/green_asb_2002.html Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?]". Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 31, No. 6, December 2002, pp. 467–471.</ref> refers to sexual activity or intercourse<ref name="McCain2" /> between an [[adult]] (a person over the [[~~age~~ of ~~consent~~]]), and a [[minor]], usually viewed as a person below the age of consent. In most industrialized western societies, minor-adult sex is considered [[child sexual abuse]] by a large majority of people. Societal views and legal ramifications have varied across cultures and throughout history.<ref name="USAToday1">[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/17/adult-child-sex.htm Robert Stacy McCain, Experts debate impact, gray areas of adult-child sex, ''USA Today'', 2002-04-17]<small>		::</ref><ref name="ACS-FFL">[http://fathersforlife.org/dale/pedophil.html "Is adult/child sex always abusive?" by Dale O'Leary from Fathers for Life]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081022113819/http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?id=14034 "Push for adult-child sex threatens society's moral fabric, Land says" by Dwayne Hastings from the Baptist Press]</ref><ref name=RichardGreen>[[Richard Green]]. "[https://www.ipce.info/library_2/files/green_asb_2002.html Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?]". Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 31, No. 6, December 2002, pp. 467–471.</ref> refers to sexual activity or intercourse<ref name="McCain2" /> between an [[adult]] (a person over the [[Age of Consent]]), and a [[minor]], usually viewed as a person below the age of consent. In most industrialized western societies, minor-adult sex is considered [[child sexual abuse]] by a large majority of people. Societal views and legal ramifications have varied across cultures and throughout history.<ref name="USAToday1">[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/17/adult-child-sex.htm Robert Stacy McCain, Experts debate impact, gray areas of adult-child sex, ''USA Today'', 2002-04-17]<small>
	::''Sex researchers and academics are tussling over a topic that most Americans don't even want to think about: sex between adults and children. Some of these experts are making the startling assertion that not all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful.''		::''Sex researchers and academics are tussling over a topic that most Americans don't even want to think about: sex between adults and children. Some of these experts are making the startling assertion that not all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful.''
	::''But some serious researchers and academics want to review the term "child sexual abuse," preferring a more neutral term such as "adult-child sex."''		::''But some serious researchers and academics want to review the term "child sexual abuse," preferring a more neutral term such as "adult-child sex."''
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	=== Sex as a form of abuse ===		=== Sex as a form of abuse ===

	The widely-accepted view of minor-adult sex among both legal experts and lay people is that it is an inherently abusive practice by the adult against the minor.<ref name=Ames/> Supported by evidence from several studies of child sexual abuse victims, psychologists argue that the inability of minors to provide full and informed consent to sexual acts necessarily makes all such acts abusive in regards to the minor (or child). <ref>[http://www.ipce.info/library_3/files/abuse.htm Comment on Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman] ([[Rind et al]]), Steven J. Ondersma , Mark Chaffin, Lucy Berliner, Ingrid Cordon and Gail S. Goodman, and Douglas Barnett, ''Psychological Bulletin'' Vol. 127. No 6.707-714, 1998.</ref>		The widely-accepted view of minor-adult sex among both legal experts and lay people is that it is an inherently abusive practice by the adult against the minor.<ref name=Ames/> Supported by evidence from several studies of child sexual abuse victims, psychologists argue that the inability of minors to provide full and informed [[consent]] to sexual acts necessarily makes all such acts abusive in regards to the minor (or child). <ref>[http://www.ipce.info/library_3/files/abuse.htm Comment on Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman] ([[Rind et al]]), Steven J. Ondersma , Mark Chaffin, Lucy Berliner, Ingrid Cordon and Gail S. Goodman, and Douglas Barnett, ''Psychological Bulletin'' Vol. 127. No 6.707-714, 1998.</ref>

	The [[Wikipedia:American Psychiatric Association\|American Psychiatric Association]] maintains the position that "children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults",<ref name="apaposition">[http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/rind/apa.html Leadership Council - APA Statement on Child Sexual Abuse] Quote: "...it is the position of the Association that children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults."</ref><ref name="delay">[https://web.archive.org/web/19991109182212/http://www.apa.org/releases/delay.html APA Letter to the Honorable Rep. DeLay (R-Tx.)]</ref> and condemns the action of the adult in strong terms: "An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a criminal and immoral act which never can be considered normal or socially acceptable behavior."<ref name="apaposition"/>		The [[Wikipedia:American Psychiatric Association\|American Psychiatric Association]] maintains the position that "children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults",<ref name="apaposition">[http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/rind/apa.html Leadership Council - APA Statement on Child Sexual Abuse] Quote: "...it is the position of the Association that children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults."</ref><ref name="delay">[https://web.archive.org/web/19991109182212/http://www.apa.org/releases/delay.html APA Letter to the Honorable Rep. DeLay (R-Tx.)]</ref> and condemns the action of the adult in strong terms: "An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a criminal and immoral act which never can be considered normal or socially acceptable behavior."<ref name="apaposition"/>

	A paper by [[David Finkelhor]] argued for "the importance of a stronger ethical position" than the belief that sex with adults causes harm to children. In his paper, Finkelhor calls into question what he considers to be three common arguments relating to "intrinsic harm", "premature sexualization" and "unnaturalness" of the act, describing them as both inadequate and lacking in solid empirical footing. Instead, he draws a parallel between Adult-child sex and sex between a therapist and a patient, stating that while there may be cases where the patient benefits, it should still be considered wrong due to the fundamental asymmetry of the relationship.<ref name="ACS-MHC"/>He wrote: "It is suggested that basing the prohibition of adult-child sex on the premise that children are incapable of full and informed consent will provide a more solid and consistent approach to the problem."<ref>Finkelhor, David. [https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1979.tb02654.x Finkelhor, D. (1979). What’s wrong with sex between adults and children? Ethics and the problem of sexual abuse. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 49(4), 692–697.]</ref>		A paper by [[David Finkelhor]] argued for "the importance of a stronger ethical position" than the belief that sex with adults causes harm to children. In his paper, Finkelhor calls into question what he considers to be three common arguments relating to "intrinsic harm", "premature sexualization" and "unnaturalness" of the act, describing them as both inadequate and lacking in solid empirical footing. Instead, he draws a parallel between Adult-child sex and sex between a therapist and a patient, stating that while there may be cases where the patient benefits, it should still be considered wrong due to the fundamental asymmetry of the relationship.<ref name="ACS-MHC"/>He wrote: "It is suggested that basing the prohibition of adult-child sex on the premise that children are incapable of full and informed [[consent]] will provide a more solid and consistent approach to the problem."<ref>Finkelhor, David. [https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1979.tb02654.x Finkelhor, D. (1979). What’s wrong with sex between adults and children? Ethics and the problem of sexual abuse. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 49(4), 692–697.]</ref>

	=== Sex as non-abusive ===		=== Sex as non-abusive ===
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	=== Close-in-age ===		=== Close-in-age ===

	Strictly speaking, sex between a person just below the ~~age~~ of ~~consent~~ and a person just above it can be termed (and considered by some) to be a form of minor-adult sex. In these situations, legal defenses are often available when the age difference is small.		Strictly speaking, sex between a person just below the [[Age of Consent]] and a person just above it can be termed (and considered by some) to be a form of minor-adult sex. In these situations, legal defenses are often available when the age difference is small.

	=== Pedophilia ===		=== Pedophilia ===
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	In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] by an adult also incurs strict punishment because it itself is considered child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->		In the interest of protecting minors, this practice is outlawed, along with other forms of [[child abuse]] and [[sexual assault]],<ref>[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/whatchildabuse/sexualabuse/sexualabuse_wda36370.html What is sexual abuse?], [[NSPCC\|National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]]</ref> almost everywhere. Adults violating these laws are generally subject to severe criminal penalties, in some cases life imprisonment or even capital punishment in very rare cases. Production of [[child pornography]] by an adult also incurs strict punishment because it itself is considered child sexual abuse. The possession and distribution of child pornography is likewise punished with strict measures, due to the assumed possibility of these acts to facilitate further child sexual abuse. <!-- Other than [[intercourse]], touching [[private part]]s such as genetalia, breasts, buttocks etc. or asking child to do so is considered as offense. Showing private parts, or showing sexually explicit videos include in this. -->

	The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[~~age~~ of ~~consent~~]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In England, the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>		The popular consensus in defining the appropriate [[Age of Consent]] has moved upwards in modern times, coincident with changes in scientific and moral views of human sexuality and the psychological and social nature of childhood. In England, the legal age of consent was 10 for three centuries, until the end of the 19th century.<ref name=RichardGreen /> By the turn of the 20th century, 14 to 18 had become the norm in many places, particularly Western and Western-influenced countries.<ref name="waites">Waites, M. (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship, Palgrave Macmillan</ref> In the 21st century, sexual relationships between adults and minors aged 16 to 18 are now considered legal in most countries, but legal variations exist allowing for ages of consent as young as 12 or as old as 21. A minority of countries either do not have any enforceable legal age of consent regulations, or have abolished such regualtions entirely in favour of arbitrary societal judgement and local customs.<ref>http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm Wordwide age of consent laws</ref>. According to the 2001 Human Rights Watch World Report, in Yemen in 1999 the minimum marriage age of fifteen for women, rarely enforced, was abolished; the onset of puberty, interpreted by conservatives to be at the age of nine, was set as a requirement for consummation of marriage. <ref>http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/mideast/yemen.html</ref>

	While sexual intercourse without consent is considered [[rape]], adult's intercourse with a person below the legal [[~~age~~ of ~~consent~~]], either with or without consent, is punishable under law with varying severity. In case of [[statutory rape]], consent by the minor is not considered as legal consent.		While sexual intercourse without consent is considered [[rape]], adult's intercourse with a person below the legal [[Age of Consent]], either with or without consent, is punishable under law with varying severity. In case of [[statutory rape]], consent by the minor is not considered as legal consent.

	=== French petitions and letters ===		=== French petitions and letters ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:58, 26 February 2023
Line 3:		Line 3:
	::</ref><ref name="ACS-JSP">[https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/0047-2786.00002 "What's Wrong with Adult-Child Sex?" by Claudia Card (2002) from the Journal of Social Philosophy 33 (2), 170–177.]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist1">[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/baptists-criticize-implication-that-adult-child-sex-may-not-be-harmful/ "Baptists criticize implication that adult-child sex may not be harmful" by Don Hinkle from Baptist Press]</ref><ref name="ACS-NYTimes2">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E7DA1238F930A25755C0A96F958260 "Study on Child Sex Abuse Provokes a Political Furor" by Erica Goode from the New York Times]		::</ref><ref name="ACS-JSP">[https://sci-hub.se/10.1111/0047-2786.00002 "What's Wrong with Adult-Child Sex?" by Claudia Card (2002) from the Journal of Social Philosophy 33 (2), 170–177.]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist1">[https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/baptists-criticize-implication-that-adult-child-sex-may-not-be-harmful/ "Baptists criticize implication that adult-child sex may not be harmful" by Don Hinkle from Baptist Press]</ref><ref name="ACS-NYTimes2">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E7DA1238F930A25755C0A96F958260 "Study on Child Sex Abuse Provokes a Political Furor" by Erica Goode from the New York Times]
	:: <small>''The authors also suggested that the term ''adult-adolescent sex'' or ''adult-child sex'' be substituted, in some cases, for ''child sexual abuse.''</small>		:: <small>''The authors also suggested that the term ''adult-adolescent sex'' or ''adult-child sex'' be substituted, in some cases, for ''child sexual abuse.''</small>
	::</ref><ref name="ACS-FFL">[http://fathersforlife.org/dale/pedophil.html "Is adult/child sex always abusive?" by Dale O'Leary from Fathers for Life]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081022113819/http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?id=14034 "Push for adult-child sex threatens society's moral fabric, Land says" by Dwayne Hastings from the Baptist Press]</ref><ref name=RichardGreen>[[Richard Green]]. "[https://www.ipce.info/library_2/files/green_asb_2002.html Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?]". Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 31, No. 6, December 2002, pp. 467–471.</ref> refers to sexual activity or intercourse<ref name="~~USAToday1~~" /> between an [[adult]] (a person over the [[age of consent]]), and a [[minor]], usually viewed as a person below the age of consent. In most industrialized western societies, minor-adult sex is considered [[child sexual abuse]] by a large majority of people. Societal views and legal ramifications have varied across cultures and throughout history.<ref name="USAToday1">[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/17/adult-child-sex.htm Robert Stacy McCain, Experts debate impact, gray areas of adult-child sex, ''USA Today'', 2002-04-17]<small>		::</ref><ref name="ACS-FFL">[http://fathersforlife.org/dale/pedophil.html "Is adult/child sex always abusive?" by Dale O'Leary from Fathers for Life]</ref><ref name="ACS-Baptist2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081022113819/http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?id=14034 "Push for adult-child sex threatens society's moral fabric, Land says" by Dwayne Hastings from the Baptist Press]</ref><ref name=RichardGreen>[[Richard Green]]. "[https://www.ipce.info/library_2/files/green_asb_2002.html Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?]". Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 31, No. 6, December 2002, pp. 467–471.</ref> refers to sexual activity or intercourse<ref name="McCain2" /> between an [[adult]] (a person over the [[age of consent]]), and a [[minor]], usually viewed as a person below the age of consent. In most industrialized western societies, minor-adult sex is considered [[child sexual abuse]] by a large majority of people. Societal views and legal ramifications have varied across cultures and throughout history.<ref name="USAToday1">[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/17/adult-child-sex.htm Robert Stacy McCain, Experts debate impact, gray areas of adult-child sex, ''USA Today'', 2002-04-17]<small>
	::''Sex researchers and academics are tussling over a topic that most Americans don't even want to think about: sex between adults and children. Some of these experts are making the startling assertion that not all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful.''		::''Sex researchers and academics are tussling over a topic that most Americans don't even want to think about: sex between adults and children. Some of these experts are making the startling assertion that not all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful.''
	::''But some serious researchers and academics want to review the term "child sexual abuse," preferring a more neutral term such as "adult-child sex."''		::''But some serious researchers and academics want to review the term "child sexual abuse," preferring a more neutral term such as "adult-child sex."''
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	:: ''But researchers and activists say the book is only the most recent in a series of academic arguments for "consensual" sex involving children''		:: ''But researchers and activists say the book is only the most recent in a series of academic arguments for "consensual" sex involving children''
	:: ''In 2000, the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco published an article, "Sexual Rights of Children," saying there is "considerable evidence" that there is no "inherent harm in sexual expression in childhood."''		:: ''In 2000, the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco published an article, "Sexual Rights of Children," saying there is "considerable evidence" that there is no "inherent harm in sexual expression in childhood."''
	:: ''San Francisco State University professor [[Gilbert Herdt]], co-author of the 1996 book "Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Leading a New Way Out of the Closet," said in an interview with the Dutch pedophilia journal Paidika that "the category 'child' is a rhetorical device for inflaming what is really an irrational set of attitudes" against sex with children.''		:: ''San Francisco State University professor Gilbert Herdt, co-author of the 1996 book "Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Leading a New Way Out of the Closet," said in an interview with the Dutch pedophilia journal Paidika that "the category 'child' is a rhetorical device for inflaming what is really an irrational set of attitudes" against sex with children.''
	:: ''John Money, professor emeritus of psychology at Johns Hopkins University, gave an interview to Paidika about "genuinely, totally mutual" sex between boys and men. In the introduction to a Dutch professor's 1987 book called, "Boys on their Contacts with Men: A Study of Sexually Expressed Friendships," Mr. Money wrote that opponents of pedophilia are motivated by "self-imposed, moralistic ignorance."''		:: ''John Money, professor emeritus of psychology at Johns Hopkins University, gave an interview to Paidika about "genuinely, totally mutual" sex between boys and men. In the introduction to a Dutch professor's 1987 book called, "Boys on their Contacts with Men: A Study of Sexually Expressed Friendships," Mr. Money wrote that opponents of pedophilia are motivated by "self-imposed, moralistic ignorance."''
	:: ''Harris Mirkin, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, published a 1999 article in the Journal of Homosexuality complaining that boys who have sex with men "are never considered willing participants, even if they are hustlers." He has also written that "children are the last bastion of the old sexual morality."''		:: ''Harris Mirkin, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, published a 1999 article in the Journal of Homosexuality complaining that boys who have sex with men "are never considered willing participants, even if they are hustlers." He has also written that "children are the last bastion of the old sexual morality."''
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	=== Sex as non-abusive ===		=== Sex as non-abusive ===

	Those who have disagreed with the majority viewpoint include philosophers, academics, writers, and pro-pedophile activists.<ref name="NudistHallofShame">http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/Okami.html</ref><ref name="~~USAToday1~~"/> In the controversial 2002 book ''[[Harmful to Minors]]'', the feminist writer [[Judith Levine]] wrote that some scholars challenge the idea that all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful,<ref>Levine, J. (2003). Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, Thunder's Mouth Press</ref> and that in some cases, "quite young" people can have a positive sexual experience with an adult, referring specifically to "happy consensual sex among kids under 12."<ref name="~~USAToday1~~" />[[Psychology\|Psychologists]] Bruce Rind and Robert Bauserman argued in a 1998 study ([[Rind et al]]) that not all cases of minor-adult sex should be termed [[child sexual abuse]]. Authors of the study argued that "CSA does not cause intense harm on a pervasive basis regardless of gender.", and that "an important reason why the assumed properties of CSA failed to withstand empirical scrutiny in the current review is that the construct of CSA, as commonly conceptualized by researchers, is of questionable scientific validity." This study was officially "condemned" by the United States Congress, an event which marked the first time in U.S. history that Congress officially condemned a study published in a major scientific journal.<ref>[http://www.mhamic.org/rind/ Rind controversy]</ref>		Those who have disagreed with the majority viewpoint include philosophers, academics, writers, and pro-pedophile activists.<ref name="NudistHallofShame">http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/Okami.html</ref><ref name="McCain2"/> In the controversial 2002 book ''[[Harmful to Minors]]'', the feminist writer [[Judith Levine]] wrote that some scholars challenge the idea that all sexual activity between adults and minors is necessarily harmful,<ref>Levine, J. (2003). Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, Thunder's Mouth Press</ref> and that in some cases, "quite young" people can have a positive sexual experience with an adult, referring specifically to "happy consensual sex among kids under 12."<ref name="McCain2"/>[[Psychology\|Psychologists]] Bruce Rind and Robert Bauserman argued in a 1998 study ([[Rind et al]]) that not all cases of minor-adult sex should be termed [[child sexual abuse]]. Authors of the study argued that "CSA does not cause intense harm on a pervasive basis regardless of gender.", and that "an important reason why the assumed properties of CSA failed to withstand empirical scrutiny in the current review is that the construct of CSA, as commonly conceptualized by researchers, is of questionable scientific validity." This study was officially "condemned" by the United States Congress, an event which marked the first time in U.S. history that Congress officially condemned a study published in a major scientific journal.<ref>[http://www.mhamic.org/rind/ Rind controversy]</ref>

	== Impetus ==		== Impetus ==