In most states the age of consent is around 17. Anything younger than that could cause that 19 year old to face charges of statutory rape, sexual assault, or indecent sexual contact.
In most civilized jurisdictions, it is legal for anyone older than 14 but younger than 16 to date, and even enjoy full-blown sexual activity with, someone up to five years their senior, as long as the older person does not hold a position of authority over the younger person. That does not mean it is always okay!
Close in age exceptions
A 14 or 15 year old can consent to sexual activity as long as the partner is less than five years older and there is no relationship of trust, authority or dependency or any other exploitation of the young person.
If by “date,” you mean “have a sexual relationship with,” the answer varies considerably depending on the jurisdiction you are in. In most areas, you're safe if the person is at least 18 years of age. Anything younger, and you could be playing with fire.
If the sex is consensual (and it must be enthusiastic consent) and the other party is also aged 16 years or over it is not against the law, although there are some exceptions: If the person is very drunk or under the influence of drugs, they may not have the capacity to consent so having sex with them is an offence.
The legal age for consensual sex varies between 16 and 17 years across Australian state and territory jurisdictions (see Table 2). For other sexual activities, the criminal legislation relating to different types of sexual behaviours and interactions varies across Australian jurisdictions.
There aren't any laws around being in a non-sexual relationship where one person is under 18 and the other over. Once you turn 16 it's not illegal for someone to have sex with you no matter how old they are.
A relationship age gap bigger than 10 years often comes with its own set of issues. “While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to remember is that dating someone more than 10 years older will present challenges now or later that add to the preexisting challenges any relationship has,” he says.
"Half-your-age-plus-seven" rule
An often-asserted rule of thumb to determine whether an age difference is socially acceptable holds that a person should never date someone whose age is less than half their own plus seven years.
In short, research seems to indicate that in many cultures, an age gap of 1 to 3 years is considered ideal — but some researchers suggest even a relationship with an age gap of less than 10 years will bring more satisfaction.
No, it's not illegal for a 15-year-old to date an 18-year-old. States do not impose laws on the ages that you can date. But, they impose laws on the age of consent and sexual conduct between 15 and 18 year olds. The 15-year-old will not get in trouble for dating the 18-year-old.
Having a boyfriend or girlfriend at 15 can help teenagers acquire critical skills and experience that will assist them to have healthy relationships later in life. For instance, they can learn how to face and deal with disputes and breakups.
NO! It potentially constitutes statutory rape.
One woman named Hunter Nelson from Kentucky took to TikTok to reveal that she was only 21 years old and had a teenage daughter aged 15. In the clip, she revealed that she fears never being taken seriously by school teachers at her child's high school. The clip shocked many. Netizens were keen to know her story.
Absolutely you can be groomed at this or any age. Primarily the younger are the more vulnerable, and usually are more naive and or gullible (I think the term pliable sounds better) which would make one more susceptible to grooming.
Possible benefits of a 3-year age gap
According to some research, you may have the lowest risk of labor complications when you have your second baby around three years after your first. Pregnancy may carry less risk for you and your baby.
“Women tend to die of the same basic things that men do, but they die at later ages,” Miller said. At the cellular level, women's brains look four to five years younger than men's, Dubal said. Many biological markers indicate faster aging in almost all of the tissues in male bodies, Kerr said.
The rule says to date someone who is half your age plus 7 or more years. That means if you're 36, you can date someone who is 25 or older. If you're 42, you can date someone who is 28 or older.
Nine to 10 months age gap is obviously the smallest gap you can have, and can be quite tough but rewarding at the same time. The children are so close in age they will learn a lot about the world together.
It is not necessarily wrong, but some may see it as weird. It is not illegal as long as there are no sexual actions. Be very careful. If you really love each other and it's meant to be, it will work itself out.
A 16-year-old dating an 18-year-old is not a big age difference. It's only 2 years apart in age and a 16-year-old isn't a child equivalent to a 5-year-old, and an 18-year-old isn't an adult equivalent to a middle-aged man. They're both developmentally adolescents in high school.
Anybody can be a groomer, no matter their age, gender or race. Grooming can take place over a short or long period of time – from weeks to years. Groomers may also build a relationship with the young person's family or friends to make them seem trustworthy or authoritative.
It's not very weird. Less 'weird' than a senior dating a freshman in high school — which always exists to a small degree. The older the parties are, the greater the age difference can be without any concerns on the subject.
The age of consent in the UK is 16. This means that it's against the law for someone to have sex with someone under the age of 16. It wouldn't be illegal for someone who's 16 to have a relationship with someone who is 30 - unless that person is their teacher or in a position of authority.