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Let's think about this for a second: What does "mature" mean? "Fully developed". Now, what happens if you try to engage in an activity which you haven't fully developed the capacity to handle the emotional ramifications of? In all likelihood, disastrous emotional consequences.
I'm not sure how much clearer I can be; that being unprepared for the consequences of a serious activity can cause problems should be obvious.
Perhaps I can help. You are correct in saying that children and young teenagers are physically capable of screwing. The major negative experience being PREGNANCY. These young people are quite able to produce a baby, however, they are not at all able to care for and raise a child. It is almost certain that they do not have jobs that provide food and shelter for a baby. This fact lies at the root of the myriad challenges both financial and emotional, which face anyone raising a child.
It depends on what those beliefs are based on. If you don't believe that beating your wife is a big deal, should everyone else change their beliefs rather than lock you in prison?
The psychological impact on children from being molested is demonstrably negative. Abused children experience increased rates of suicide, substance abuse, and other general illegal behaviors. They also have increased instances of becoming abusers in the future. These negative effects on child victims, coupled with the increased desire to protect children creates ample justification for laws that severely punish sexual abusers. I personally would like to see harsher punishment.
Beating wife makes harm to her. It's proven, because harm is visible immediately after direct physical action, and we can see psychological harm too, looking on her face and seeing her strongly negative emotions.
But we can't see such immediate harm on a child, if such relations were mutual. Yes, we can see statistical correlation between such activity in childhood and greater risk of depression or alcoholism in adulthood. But you must know: correlation does not imply causation. And in this case most plausible explanation for such correlation is that: Psychological damage is made not by action itself, but by social reaction to such action. Child can feel himself well until certain age when he will understand the "true meaning" of this action and will understand that he was "spoiled".
You're wrong saying that pedophiles cannot relate to their peers. They can, they just don't want to. There are no psychological or physiological differences between pedophiles and non-pedophiles except their sexual preferences. Any expert can say you that: They're all look like pretty ordinary people.
You said that children perceive them to have authority because they are adults. Okay, most pedophiles are against such hierarchy, but okay. But... don't you think it will be much better if you will teach your children to not perceive adults as authority unless they are: Teacher, Doctor or Parent? What's wrong can be from that if most adults and most children will perceive each other as equal?
Adults and children are not equal, children are less developed in every aspect. Lower strength, lower emotional intelligence (an important one here), lower cognition, and decreased moral reasoning. Adults are supposed to be fully developed in these respects, so when they engage in sexual activity with children they are, in every respect, taking advantage of a weaker person.
Children are not equals with adults, and they are innocent. Pedophiles are not equal with their peers, they are not as good, and they are guilty.
Psychological damage need not be immediate to know that is present. In the cases in question, the cause of their troubles are self-reported either to their shrink or to a jury. To deny the truth of the victims own reporting, in favor of the perpetrator, is not an argument so much as an expression of personal disposition.
Furthermore, placing the blame on society is a self-serving assertion without merit as it lacks any supporting evidence, as such statements often do. The impact of society is commonly overstated. Even if it were true that the damage is only in the context of the society in which one lives, you cannot deny that children do still live in society. Thus any attempt to transition toward behavior that is damaging within a society will necessarily victimize countless children in the name of that change that benefits the worst among us. Pedophiles tend to be the lowest functioning adults on every level, not least of which is moral reasoning and cognition as you are helping to illustrate.
If victim report about "hurt" or "disgust" or "he forced me" that's another question. We don't talk about such things, we're talking about "consent". Do you know what it is?
And you have any supporting evidence for blaming "perpetrator". It is normal for you to blame people without evidences?
If socity is responsible for this damage, then it must to change, that's obvious.
The victim report is always one of force. Children cannot legally consent because of the inherent power difference involved. A power difference that results from a child's laterally lower ability to understand the world around them. Pedophiles have a lower cognition, which attracts them to children, but a higher social and physical power. This is why all sexual contact with a child is abuse and all perpetrators are contemptible. This is also why society condemns it, and you for supporting it.
The fact is that the victims are truly harmed, not simply immediately, but over time. How does a child cope with being made into a physical object for the gratification of trusted adults whose actions they don't understand? They acquire depression. They feel like an object as they were used as such.
In this case, society is correct in trying to protect children at the justified expense of the lowest among us.
That is why they need adults, who will understand the world around them for them. What's wrong with that? What's wrong with power difference? How you can proof that action itself makes harm over time, and not social reaction and taboo on that?
That is why they need adults, who will understand the world around them for them
Yes, and protect them from pedophiles and others who would do them harm.
What's wrong with power difference?
The nature of the power difference is the reason children cannot consent. By the age of consent, that power difference is drastically narrowed.
How you can proof that action itself makes harm over time, and not social reaction and taboo on that?
Since all evidence indicates that harm comes from the action itself, and since proving an effect in social science is impossible, it's best to er on the side of caution and in favor of children.
Your entire position is based preferences rather than facts. You have disregard for those who need the most protection. I know you will not change your mind, and I know that anyone else here knows the truth of my position. This being the case, I will no longer lower myself to discussion with you.
I sincerely hope you find the strength to commit suicide.
So, what's wrong with power difference, and why it can prevent the consent?
I asking you for the facts. I will change my mind as soon as you will proof that there is even single fact that sex is in any way dangerous to children.
I should to my other comment. Consider who we are locking up. Apart from abusing children, the types of people that desire to abuse children are almost invariably worthless. They cannot relate to their peers (other adults), so they turn to children. They can relate to children, but children perceive them to have authority since they are adults. This puts them in a uniquely powerful position, which they cannot get in other places because they are typically physically weak in addition to being cognitively inferior.
Child abusers are so worthless as humans, that other more violent but less worthless people in prison will often take care of them in ways the justice system does not allow for. And no one care.
Because people need to have a certain level of cognitive and social maturity to know what theyre consenting to. If you dont know what you're consenting to and you give consent is it even really consent? I dont see how it could be.
So you can't buy your child an ice cream because he can't consent? And that is the same as forcefully feeding adult person except far more appalling because he is a child?
Buying an ice cream =/= sexual acts. And buying an ice cream =/= forcefully feeding it to them. If you force it down their throat then thats just assault.
This is where your devils advocate runs out of steam. You just sound retarded at this point. If you cant tell how violating a child against their will is different from giving them an ice cream then theres no hope for you.
Because children are not fully developed mentally, it's much easier for adults to manipulate and coerce them into engaging in intercourse. Studies have also shown that underdeveloped minds are more likely to engage in risky scenarios and keeping that in mind in combination with the lack of readily available information for minors regarding sex, one can see how allowing minors to engage in sexual activity could allow for disaster.
