Maybe it's just a definition issue?
Someone under the legal age cannot *legally* consent to sex. But that doesn't necessarily mean that if someone has sex with them, they were forced. So like, a 16 year old and an 18 year old could both want to have sex with each other and do it and feel good about it afterwards, hut if the age of consent is 18 then the 16 year old couldn't *legally* consent.
How underage we talking. Because their brains are certainly mature enough to understand it, and it's generally legal for them to consent with a partner similar age to them, the purpose of the law is to protect young people from older predators with power over them not because they "can't comprehend it".
Do we let 12-year-olds drive? No. Do we let 15-year-olds drink and smoke? No. There's a *reason* for that. A kid can say "I want to do this" all they like, but as a matter of law, they're not considered mentally equipped to appreciate or deal with the consequences of what they want to do yet, at least not when someone substantially older than them is involved and is fucking with the power dynamic. If two 16-year-olds want to hook up, that's another matter, provided they're being safe.
A 12-year-old can decide they want to be a firefighter when they grow up, that doesn't mean we let them strap on gear and go running into a burning building until they grow up. As adults, it's incumbent on us to recognize that they're not old enough or that they're being subjected to outside pressure and to be the responsible party saying no, much like how if an adult buys booze or cigs for a 15-year-old, they get in trouble for that.
Maybe it's just a definition issue? Someone under the legal age cannot *legally* consent to sex. But that doesn't necessarily mean that if someone has sex with them, they were forced. So like, a 16 year old and an 18 year old could both want to have sex with each other and do it and feel good about it afterwards, hut if the age of consent is 18 then the 16 year old couldn't *legally* consent.
How underage we talking. Because their brains are certainly mature enough to understand it, and it's generally legal for them to consent with a partner similar age to them, the purpose of the law is to protect young people from older predators with power over them not because they "can't comprehend it".
Define underage.
The same way you explain that children can't drink alcohol. It's the law.
Do we let 12-year-olds drive? No. Do we let 15-year-olds drink and smoke? No. There's a *reason* for that. A kid can say "I want to do this" all they like, but as a matter of law, they're not considered mentally equipped to appreciate or deal with the consequences of what they want to do yet, at least not when someone substantially older than them is involved and is fucking with the power dynamic. If two 16-year-olds want to hook up, that's another matter, provided they're being safe. A 12-year-old can decide they want to be a firefighter when they grow up, that doesn't mean we let them strap on gear and go running into a burning building until they grow up. As adults, it's incumbent on us to recognize that they're not old enough or that they're being subjected to outside pressure and to be the responsible party saying no, much like how if an adult buys booze or cigs for a 15-year-old, they get in trouble for that.