What is the best way for a society to address adolescent autonomous agency, responsibility, and consent?

j4k3@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 31 points –

I recall many times growing up when I felt like my inalienable fundamental human rights were violated in unjust autocratic ways, mostly at school. There was also the time of being a year older than my partner but the potential of ridiculous arbitrary laws having major consequences.

I feel like the age of 18 as some kind of moral benchmark is ridiculous. I feel like it is just tied to the age of conscription. Basing sexual morality on the age when the state can abduct and murder without recourse is nonsense. Most of us likely exist in a duality where we might cringe at "underage" of any kind, but not think twice when a couple of teens are dating and in a physical consensual relationship that is respectful and private.

So from a distant future culture's perspective, like if Star Trek TNG existed in hard SciFi, and there is no need for our present arbitrary policy enforcement, what should be the basis of adolescent autonomous agency?

  1. Maybe it is weening, cultural pressures, and education.

  2. Maybe it is full independence and self sufficiency.

For the record, this is my favored idea as it pressures society to enable a balanced financial early life and opportunities. It also adjusts to account for real world maturity levels. IMO, it is either this or number 1 as these are derived from individual human life phases.

  1. Maybe you think it should be something else?
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Peter pan laws help with slight age gaps, beyond that, in till the frontal lobe is more developed it would be irresponsible to allow children to do as they please it would also be cruel as some adults pray on children as they are much easier to manipulate.

Also the frontal lobe often isn't fully developed till the age of 25. Laws must be concrete hense 18 being the hard limit in some country's otherwise all we'd hear about is how 'she/he acted so much more mature"

I personally am thankful for these laws as I come from an abusive childhood and while the law didn't fix my problems I know that it did end those problems. Children lack a voice

BTW, I have no intention of my question causing any harm. I understand it can be a tough subject, but I think it is worth discussing.

Thanks for commenting. As someone disabled by a car on a bicycle, every time I encounter an article about something similar it has a deep impact on me in that moment. I hope I have not had a similar impact on you. I'm simply trying to daydream about a better future.

It definitely is worth discussion, most people don't understand the neurological side of age of consent and this makes for a great platform to discuss this. In regards to the future of age of consent maybe there will be brain scans that measure the ability for decision making but that is way to eugenics for me I much rather stick with age of consent as flawed as it might be.

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Sorry what are Peter Pan laws? I tried googling but I got a bunch of links about copyright, one that seemed like it might be relevant here (albeit with not-that-great probability) except that it was literally just a headline followed by a page of ads—no article—and something about Cuban children fleeing to America 60 years ago.

I'm familiar with the term Romeo and Juliet laws. Is it similar?

Yes its the same I believe, these laws allow people of similar age to have a romantic relationship without fear of prosecution

Edit: I also search the phrase peter pan laws and returned the same as yourself, it is a term ive seen before used to discribe this but not a legal definition. I can't imagine Disney are too happy with they're IP being used in this way

I can’t imagine Disney are too happy with they’re IP being used in this way

Disney doesn't own Peter Pan.

Reality also preys on easy-to-manipulate children. Nobody has to be trying to hurt a child, for a child to hurt himself by making stupid choices that stick.

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