Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

[gattaca]

Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Should the international age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

In third world countries such as Africa and in England,

teen age pregnancy rates are extremely high and

most of these girls end up living on hand outs and welfare their whole life.

So isn’t it time the international age of consent be set at 21 all over the whole world

to help reduce the world population?

 

[Eudaimonist]

Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Your graph is misleading (even aside from the cherry-picked "scary" choice of presentation). First, it treats the world population increase as a whole. Second, it ignores the effects of economic development.

Let's take a look at a chart that deals with the issue of developed or developing regions:

Note how the world map looks.

Predictions of future growth show a reverse trend in population growth later this century, or at the very end of this century. The world population may shrink naturally (not necessarily by war or starvation) after the year 2100, and that could be humanity's new problem:

Net world population growth is driven by only certain areas of the globe. In much of the world, not counting immigration and emigration, the growth rate is actually negative. Assuming that age of consent laws are even effective at reducing the birth rate, it would be insane to have those laws in the greenish regions on the world graph above.

Furthermore, I doubt that increasing the age of consent would do very much to affect the overall trend. You would almost have to demand forced mass sterilizations to make any serious impact. Good luck with that.

So isn’t it time the international age of consent be set at 21 all over the whole world to help reduce the world population?

My answer to you is absolutely not. It would only make sense in Africa and the Middle-east, but I doubt that it would make any significant difference, and wouldn't solve the cultural and economic issues that lead to a high growth rate.

In any case, I'm more worried about the world post-2100, where there could be a plunging birth rate.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[DaisyDay]

Raising the age of consent won't stop teenagers from consenting.

 

[keith99]

Raising the age of consent won't stop teenagers from consenting.

What? Don't teens follow all rules to the letter?

 

[PersephonesTear]

There are some major ethical issues involved with attempting to regulate adult reproductive behavior... And like it or not 18 and up is adult.

If it could be proven, beyond doubt, that sexual intercourse prior to age 21 causes harm to the participant, then there might be a leg to stand on.

But trying to prevent it for population reasons? No, that won't go over well at all.

 

[Paradoxum]

Should we send you to prison, so you don't try to impose oppressive and authoritarian measures on others? I hope you aren't offended by someone suggesting your freedom is taken away.

If it could be proven, beyond doubt, that sexual intercourse prior to age 21 causes harm to the participant, then there might be a leg to stand on.

If it could be shown that good can be done without religion, but religion can inspire immorality, should all religion be banned?

Should all slightly dangerous sports be banned? How about slightly unhealthy foods?

Harm doesn't matter. You should be free to consent to almost anything, even death.

 

[MyOwnSockPuppet]

What? Don't teens follow all rules to the letter?

Is abstinence-only education effective?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Should the international age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

In third world countries such as Africa and in England,

teen age pregnancy rates are extremely high and

most of these girls end up living on hand outs and welfare their whole life.

So isn’t it time the international age of consent be set at 21 all over the whole world

to help reduce the world population?

Two questions,

1) Why do you repeat yourself?

2) Who is going to enforce this law on the entire planet?

 

[Joykins]

No.

Make no cost at point of purchase birth control of all kinds available to every woman everywhere, and any overpopulation problem will disappear.

 

[Lethe]

No.

Make no cost at point of purchase birth control of all kinds available to every woman everywhere, and any overpopulation problem will disappear.

I'd like to add that fertility plunges when women have the opportunity to have a career and acquire a skillset. The effect is two fold: it's harder to get pregnant when your butt is in a classroom for 10 years of your highest fertility, and women don't want to get pregnant when they have another goal in mind.

 

[keith99]

No.

Make no cost at point of purchase birth control of all kinds available to every woman everywhere, and any overpopulation problem will disappear.

Yea,

No teenage girl at a school that provides free condoms has ever gotten pregnant.

Oh wait!

 

[Joykins]

Yea,

No teenage girl at a school that provides free condoms has ever gotten pregnant.

Oh wait!

Did you miss my "off all kinds"? Because that was kinda important. Condoms are not the most effective form of birth control by a long shot. Especially when wielded by such skilled practitioners as teenaged boys.

 

[Cearbhall]

Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Should the age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Should the international age of consent be set at 21 to help reduce the world population?

Why do you always repeat the initial question several times?

 

[keith99]

Is abstinence-only education effective?

In insuring an ongoing supply of unwed teen mothers, YES!

 

[Cearbhall]

I'd like to add that fertility plunges when women have the opportunity to have a career and acquire a skillset. The effect is two fold: it's harder to get pregnant when your butt is in a classroom for 10 years of your highest fertility, and women don't want to get pregnant when they have another goal in mind.

They also have less of a chance of being raped and impregnated (I'm including under-age marriage in this) when they're financially independent.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Raising the age of consent won't stop teenagers from consenting.

amen they still would not do anything if BOTH parties were underage.

 

[keith99]

Did you miss my "off all kinds"? Because that was kinda important. Condoms are not the most effective form of birth control by a long shot. Especially when wielded by such skilled practitioners as teenaged boys.

Good point.

But still not a solution. While implants solve the problems of improper use they do nothing to solve the problem of not being used at all.

Still the of all kinds would result in a significant improvement.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Another issue is in third world countries where people do not live as long and have a higher rate of mothers dying while giving birth they may not get to actually raise the children and in areas where AIDS is common there is enough of that, already without raising the age and making it more common.

 

[Deadbolt]

Isn't the question asked in the poll different from the question asked by the title of the thread? Isn't that kind of majorly dishonest?

 

[Boydy]

I think raising the age of consent is a bad idea and would have no effect on slowing down population growth. If anything it should be lowered but that is another story...

First of all you have to consider that if two people want to have sex with eachother they are highly unlikely to take notice of a law against. This is demonstarted by the large amounts of under 16's having sex (16 been the age of consent in my country).

Secondly the age of consent law is rarely enforced unless they is evidence of abuse or exploitation. Giving the fact most sex is within a loving relationship with two fully consenting people who are aware of there actions, the law is unlikely to be enforced. If it was enforced in this situtation say among two twenty year olds, they would be a public outcry condeming the law.

Thirdly mosty young people having sex will use birth control as they don't want children at that stage of their lives, so most sex among under 21's is unlikely to result in pregnancies and even less so in births. So even if this law was introduced and fully enforced it would have little effect on the amount of births.

Finally and probably most importantly, I don't see how this law would be in accordance with the will of God as it goes against nature and would likely lead to further break down in society as it would increasew opposition to authority.