15 is a better age of sexual consent than 18

My opponent appears to start in round one (acceptance and definitions,) by asserting his position as a definition in the form of a proposed policy (Policy) and guidelines for that policy (Guidelines). Therefore, as a matter of definition, I of course must reject his Proposal and the Guidelines therein. I do however accept the definitions he contributes for “Age of sexual consent” and “sexual”. It’s unclear whether my opponent meant to submit his Proposal and Guidelines as the full position he wishes to defend. In an attempt to not disregard his efforts completely, and because many of the clauses present in the Proposal are relevant to the debate, I will likely touch on many of the issues he has presented. However, since posted in Round 1 – reserved exclusively for acceptance and definitions – and thus rejected as a definition, it is up to my opponent to re-introduce any topics he feels are relevant that I may not formally introduce this round. Point 1: Age of MajorityThe age of majority is “the chronological moment when minors cease to legally be considered children and assume control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thereby terminating the legal control and legal responsibilities of their parents or guardian over and for them. ” [1] While this is not the same as age of consent, and perhaps often gets confused with age of consent, it is significant due to the ramifications (such as pregnancy! ) that consensual sex can bring upon a minor that the parents of that minor would ultimately be responsible for. This is a primary reason why age of consent should in fact match up with the age of majority – which is almost universally 18, including in the USA. A parent should not be held responsible to provide financially for their daughter’s pregnancy or child if they don’t agree with it and had no part in it. But if the daughter is legally able to consent to sex as a matter of personal choice at an age younger than 18 then the parent has no right to restrict that particular choice, nor do they have a right over the girl’s body to force an abortion, not even a right to force an adoption of the child. With the divergence between age of consent and age of majority the parents become responsible for a whole additional human being without any legal say in the matter. Point 2: Prevent unwanted pregnanciesPregnancy is the #1 reason girls drop out of school. [2] It’s imperative that students finish high school, and an unwanted pregnancy contributes toward them quitting early and not receiving a diploma. With a lower age of consent it stands to reason that the frequency of teenage sexual encounters would increase, and as a direct result so would the frequency of teenage pregnancy. Point #3: MaturityResearch suggests that the human brain does not fully develop until age 21-22 in females, and age 30 in males. [3] Furthermore, “Studies in both humans and other animals have suggested that the dopamine system peaks in activity during adolescenese. If this is true, the abundance of dopamine might lead to different considerations of short-term and long-term rewards and consequences” in teenagers. [4] Because of this it is possible that teenagers may not properly consider consequences when engaging in sexual activity, lending credence to a higher age of consent in order to protect them from sexual exploitation from adults. In conclusion, I would like to briefly address a few points from my opponents Proposal should he choose to formally introduce these points in the debate during his next two rounds:• It is illogical to create a divergent legal system wherein sex between an adult and a 15 year old is legal, however an adult impregnating a 15 year old is not. Pregnancy is an unpredictable effect of sex and is likely under more control of the younger party (typically being female) due to birth control options available as well as personal knowledge of their menstrual/fertility cycle. • It is unreasonable to state that when the elder male party is over 18 that he would be financially responsible for the child or for the abortion at the family descrition, the that if the elder male was under 18 then abortion would be mandatory. In fact, stating at all that abortion would be mandatory is completely unreasonable, or at very least a topic for another debate all in itself. • If the law is concerning “safe sex” only then a detailed definition would need apply, and it is up to my opponent to prove that such safe sex is reliable and could be verified in a court of law. Also it should be noted that birth control is against some religions and therefore could not be considered a mandatory pre-requisite under the law. [1] - . http://en.wikipedia.org...[2] - . http://www.aclu-wa.org...[3] - . http://www.education.com...[4] - . http://www.abqtrib.com...