Well, this is where the underlying psychological impulses start to be revealed. The issue is whether individuals are mature enough to understand the consequences of their actions and therefore be held accountable for them. And we see a lot of 'special pleading' in the case of sex. In at least one state in the USA the difference between the age of criminal responsibility and the age of consent is 11 years; a child of 7 can be held responsible for criminal acts and yet will not be deemed mature enough to make decisions about sexual activity with a partner until 18. And then when they turn 18 and can legally have sex for the first time, they are also deemed mature enough to decide to be in a porn film, but they're still 3 years off being mature enough to have a beer.
Do sex offenders deserve a second chance?
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Well, this is where the underlying psychological impulses start to be revealed. The issue is whether individuals are mature enough to understand the consequences of their actions and therefore be held accountable for them. And we see a lot of 'special pleading' in the case of sex. In at least one state in the USA the difference between the age of criminal responsibility and the age of consent is 11 years; a child of 7 can be held responsible for criminal acts and yet will not be deemed mature enough to make decisions about sexual activity with a partner until 18. And then when they turn 18 and can legally have sex for the first time, they are also deemed mature enough to decide to be in a porn film, but they're still 3 years off being mature enough to have a beer.