Arguments Against Statutory Rape

Have you ever wondered what Statutory Rape really is? It is sexual intercourse with a minor. In humbler terms it is when a male adult 18 years or older has sexual intercourse with a female who is 17 years old or younger without consent. The issue that I have seen arise a great deal of the time is that the laws in most states are sexually biased when it comes to an adult male and an underage female. In this essay I want to specifically focus on the State of North Carolina, being that I live in this state.

Guidelines and definitions are generally not too different from one state to another. Some states classify sexual crimes depending on the sexual act, while others classify them as one single category. Sexual assault is always charged as a serious felony. Federal punishment for sexual assault crimes depend on a number of factors. The offender’s criminal history, acceptance of responsibility, severity of the crime, and several other factors are considered when a sentence is imposed. “The federal law criminalizing sexual assault sets a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and also provides for fines. In addition, federal law provides that those convicted of sexual assault must compensate their victims for any expenses directly related to the crime. This can include costs for medical care, physical or occupational therapy, attorney's fees, and other related expenses.” (FindLaw,

Depending on the offender’s ability to pay they may be fined to a maximum of $1000

Rape is a despicable crime that some can’t be forgiven or forgotten. Rape is an act of sexual violence towards another human being without their consents. It’s not only if you have their consent, they also have to be old enough. Rape will give you the consequences of going to jail. Doing so will affect the person that has committed it and the person that has been violated.

of any part of the body with a penis, finger or any object, sexual exploitation, making threats about sexual activities, exposure to

All these offences are placed in classes so before going in to the charges basic break down of classification is need for more understanding. A class a felony is punishable by 20 to 50 years in prison, or life imprisonment. (Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 532.020, 532.060.) Rape of a child

Can we take a moment to think about how there are so many double standards when it comes to sex and I’m not just talking about the typical guys can have casual sex with multiple people and get praised for it but when a woman does it she gets slut-shamed? I’m talking about the double standards with statutory rape, for example, a 17-year-old boy was sentenced 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old. I’m wondering so is the 15-year-old girl going to jail too? So let's start from the beginning statutory rape refers to having sexual relations under the age of consent which is different in states but typically is between the ages of 16-18 here in the US. Now statutory rape and child molester is not the same thing, statutory

While sexually deviant behavior among juveniles is not a new phenomenon there has been a dramatic increase in the concern of this problem over the last two decades. As the number of juvenile sex offenders arrested increases, the recognition of it as a serious issue also increases. The anxiety over juvenile sex crimes has led to a wide variety of research being conducted to determine if there are antecedent traits in offenders. The tremendous data collected and analyzed to try to understand the factors leading a juvenile to sexually violate has piloted a wide range of theories and also much disagreement among professionals about the appropriate consequences a violator must face.

In the state of South Carolina there are a number of laws regarding sexual assault and consent. Now sexual battery in the state of South Carolina includes vaginal, anal, and oral sexual intercourse as well as any intrusion such as touching. Furthermore, the legal age of consent in the state is 16. Unfortunately, if someone is 14 years of age, they can consent to have sex with someone who is 18 years of age or younger. Yet, submitting to coercion someone, especially if it’s of an aggravated nature is not considered consent. Therefore, a person could receive up to 30 years in prison for making someone have sex with them without them given consent.

There are debates on whether or not the laws for statutory rape are strict enough. The age of consensual sex varies from state to state. In some states the age of consent is 16 while others start at the age of 17. Though many of these teens may be physically ready to engage in sex, many of them are not mentally prepared. In their article, “Enforce Statutory Rape Laws to Curb Teen Sex”, Kathleen Sylvester and Jonathan O’Connell talk about relationships between 12, 13 and 14 year old girls and sexually mature men who are inherently unequal, often coercive and almost always damaging. Many of these girls find themselves engaging in sexual activities with much older men. Until stricter laws are put into place, as well as parents explaining these

The legal age of consent in the state of Pennsylvania is 16-years-old. As such, state law defines statutory sexual assault as sexual intercourse that is not forced with someone under that age. Furthermore, the older partner must be at least four years older than the minor for sexual intercourse to qualify as this offense. According to the Pennsylvania Courts, the exception to the statutory sexual assault

Statutory Rape is a very foggy law when it comes to the specifics and the crime can still be committed even if both people engaging in sexual acts are below the age of consent as well. “Statutory rape is a state sex crime that can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor offense and may be punishable by incarceration, fine, probation, and/or registry as a sex offender, depending on the state and circumstances of the incident” (Findlaw,1). 17-year old Alan Jepsen from Sheboygan, Wisconsin was at home playing videogames when the police barged in and handcuffed him

     Sexual assault is a term that is used interchangeably with the word rape. The decision on whether or not to use the term rape or sexual assault is made by a state’s jurisdiction. Sexual assault is more readily used in an attempt to be more gender neutral (National Victim Center). Sexual assault can be most easily described as forced or unconsentual sexual intercourse. The individual that is performing these acts on the victim may either be a stranger or an acquaintance. In 1994, 64.2 percent of all rapes were committed by someone the offender had previously known (Ringel, 1997). Regardless, this type of crime can have extreme effects on the victim.

Although there is the “Romeo and Juliet Law”, which is in place to prevent serious criminal charges against teenagers who engage in consensual sex with others close to their own age. In Florida, there is an exemption for consensual sex when the minor is 14-17 years old and the defendant is no more than four years older. If the defendant meets certain eligibility requirements, the law will remove the requirement of registering as a sex offender. The terms of imprisonment and fines may still be

Statutory rape describes sexual activity where one participating party is below the age of consent to engage in the sexual conduct. The term usually refers to adults engaging in sexual activities with minors under the age of consent; however, only a handful of jurisdictions recognize the actual words "statutory rape" in its legal code. Statutory rape differs from forcible rape because imposed force or threat is not present during the sexual acts. However, the laws presume that adult coerced the minor into having sex because a minor or mentally challenged are unsuitable to make their own decisions, according to the courts. Statutory rape differs from "child molestation," which is typically treated as a far more severe crime.