Post by Beautiful Disaster on Nov 25, 2006 5:38:58 GMT -5
What does the age of consent mean?
The age of consent is the age at which the law says a young person can agree to have sex. Before someone reaches the age of consent, they are not allowed to have sex with anyone, whatever age their partner may be. The law says that to have sex, both partners must be over the age of consent.
Warning: This page should only be used as a general guide and might contain outdated information as countries and states frequently ammend their age of consent laws.
Australia:
* ACT: 16
* NSW: 16
* NT: 16 (18 for male-male intercourse)
* Queensland: 16 (18 for male-male intercourse)
* SA: 16 females, 17 males
* Tasmania: 17
* Victoria: 16
* WA: 16
Canada:
* 14
United Kingdom:
18 years for any sexual act if there is a trust relationship (e.g. student with teacher) unless they are married, in which case the below applies:
* Great Britain: heterosexual and male homosexual 16
* Northern Ireland: heterosexual and male homosexual 17
* Sex with a girl under 16 years old could be prosecuted under child abuse laws
United States:
Usually between 16 and 18 years old. Some states made homosexual acts illegal, however such laws were declared unconstitutional in 2003 by Lawrence v. Texas.
* Alabama: 16
* Alaska: 16
* Arizona: 18
* Arkansas: 16
* California: 18
* Colorado: 15/17
* Connecticut: 16
* D.C.: 16
* Delaware: 16/18
* Florida: 16/18
* Georgia: 16
* Hawaii: 16
* Idaho: 16/18
* Illinois:17
* Indiana: 16
* Iowa: 14/16
* Kansas: 16
* Kentucky: 16
* Louisiana: 17
* Maine: 16
* Maryland: 16
* Massachusetts 16/18
* Michigan: 16
* Minnesota: 16
* Mississippi: 16
* Missouri: 14/17
* Montana: 16/18
* Nebraska: 17
* Nevada: 18 homosexual, 16 heterosexual
* New Hampshire: 18 homosexual, 16 heterosexual
* New Jersey:16
* New Mexico: 13 homosexual, 17 heterosexual
* New York: 17
* North Carolina: 16
* North Dakota: 18
* Ohio: 16
* Oklahoma: 16
* Oregon: 18
* Pennsylvania: 16
* Rhode Island: 16
* South Carolina: 16
* South Dakota: 16
* Tennessee: 18
* Texas: 17
* Utah: 16/18
* Vermont: 16
* Virginia: 18
* Washington: 16/18
* West Virginia: 16 18? 18?
* Wisconsin: 18
* Wyoming: 16/18
* Military: 16, homosexuality grounds for dismissal
The age of consent is the age at which the law says a young person can agree to have sex. Before someone reaches the age of consent, they are not allowed to have sex with anyone, whatever age their partner may be. The law says that to have sex, both partners must be over the age of consent.
Warning: This page should only be used as a general guide and might contain outdated information as countries and states frequently ammend their age of consent laws.
Australia:
* ACT: 16
* NSW: 16
* NT: 16 (18 for male-male intercourse)
* Queensland: 16 (18 for male-male intercourse)
* SA: 16 females, 17 males
* Tasmania: 17
* Victoria: 16
* WA: 16
Canada:
* 14
United Kingdom:
18 years for any sexual act if there is a trust relationship (e.g. student with teacher) unless they are married, in which case the below applies:
* Great Britain: heterosexual and male homosexual 16
* Northern Ireland: heterosexual and male homosexual 17
* Sex with a girl under 16 years old could be prosecuted under child abuse laws
United States:
Usually between 16 and 18 years old. Some states made homosexual acts illegal, however such laws were declared unconstitutional in 2003 by Lawrence v. Texas.
* Alabama: 16
* Alaska: 16
* Arizona: 18
* Arkansas: 16
* California: 18
* Colorado: 15/17
* Connecticut: 16
* D.C.: 16
* Delaware: 16/18
* Florida: 16/18
* Georgia: 16
* Hawaii: 16
* Idaho: 16/18
* Illinois:17
* Indiana: 16
* Iowa: 14/16
* Kansas: 16
* Kentucky: 16
* Louisiana: 17
* Maine: 16
* Maryland: 16
* Massachusetts 16/18
* Michigan: 16
* Minnesota: 16
* Mississippi: 16
* Missouri: 14/17
* Montana: 16/18
* Nebraska: 17
* Nevada: 18 homosexual, 16 heterosexual
* New Hampshire: 18 homosexual, 16 heterosexual
* New Jersey:16
* New Mexico: 13 homosexual, 17 heterosexual
* New York: 17
* North Carolina: 16
* North Dakota: 18
* Ohio: 16
* Oklahoma: 16
* Oregon: 18
* Pennsylvania: 16
* Rhode Island: 16
* South Carolina: 16
* South Dakota: 16
* Tennessee: 18
* Texas: 17
* Utah: 16/18
* Vermont: 16
* Virginia: 18
* Washington: 16/18
* West Virginia: 16 18? 18?
* Wisconsin: 18
* Wyoming: 16/18
* Military: 16, homosexuality grounds for dismissal