In summary, and moving forward...

On our blog we have examined the change in the age of consent policy as well as the policy itself, now we would like to take this opportunity to summarize our main points about the policy.

As with any policy, we understand that nothing is perfect and there are always ways that people can get around the law and there are plenty of grey areas. So to reiterate some of our concerns with the policy...
• The policy is not inclusive of all types of people (LGBTQ community, people with mental disabilities, people who partake in anal sex, etc.)
• The policy does not recognize the challenges teens face, and the issues of dating someone older or in a position of authority
• There is a lack of definition available to completely understand what “sex” is in terms of the policy
• There is a challenge in enforcing the policy
• There is a lack of knowledge by teens about the policy and what they “can” and “cannot” do at their age

However, there are also some positives that exist around the current policy, and we don’t want to overlook them...
• The policy provides a deterrent to possible offenders, as well, without the policy, sex crimes against our youth would go unacknowledged in the courts
• The policy provides parents with a feeling of safety that if something happens to their child they can take legal action against the perpetrator
• The policy demonstrates that sex crimes are acknowledged in society and in the government, even if not accurately enforced

While there are substantial issues with the policy, not all of them can be addressed in a policy, however for the next few entries, we would like to explore some alternative suggestions to the policy and establish some goals and pros and cons of these suggestions. We welcome any comments or suggestions of our readers as well.

P.