1 in 4 of Britain's youth are technically sex-offenders?

Question

"The proportion of young people [in the UK] who are sexually active before the age of consent [16 years old] has risen from less than one percent to 25 percent," Reuters News Agency, today.

If you think this is a problem, what caused it?

Answer 1

i dont blame the parents, i blame the media, who publish magasines for young girls describing sex explicitly....

incidentally in holland the sex education is much more detailed and yet the average age for losing your V is higher than in this country....

maybe its time to get more liberal....

also, two 14 year old experimenting isnt classed as a sexual offence, its classed as normal teen age activity....

Answer 2

Everybody here has raised some valid points however I think they are missing an important one. Sex is a NATURAL urge. It is our society that is trying to curb what has always come naturally!
In less 'civilised' societies it is considered unnatural to not have several children by the ripe old age of 18. It's probable our current attitudes are left over from the repressive Victorian era, a time when sex became 'dirty' and unmentionable in front of the children. Many Victorians, at least amongst the upper classes, didn't know how to 'do it' until after they got married. Was this a good thing? If it wasn't for the poor we'd be extinct!
If todays 'children' are physically mature enough to be sexually active then who are we to place boundaries on nature? However, and this is a big however, they should also be mentally mature enough to cope with the consequences and the emotions that come with this activity and this is where the parents come in. If children are raised without any hangups then I believe they will be emotionally equipped to say whether they are ready or not, and most do say 'not' at least until they reach their late teens. Children are contrary - I know because I was one! If you tell them not to do something then they will go right out and do it - literally! Treat them as the potential adults that they are and they will listen to, and respect your advise - at least most of the time.
This is somewhat simplistic of me and I do realise that children need boundaries, but let's think about the issues first before imposing arbitrary guidlines such as 'not until you are sixteen' that have come out of someone elses head! Yes, I know it's the law, but what the law doesn't know .......
So, to answer your question. Is it a problem? Only if we perceive it as a problem, and I don't. The problem is the education received (or not) before the activity, and the often unwanted results!... and as to what caused it? Well, God, I guess. ;)

Answer 3

Technically, maybe, but how could you really call a young man a sex offender if he is say 17 or18 and he is tricked into bed by a 15 year old, who looks 20.???. When you consider that some stores sell sexy underwear for girls as young as 5 then no wonder they become precocious and street wise , etc at an early age. You know the best way to take the pill don't you?..... Hold it between your knees. And if the vicar wore his trousers the same way round as his collar , there would be fewer kids in Banardo's

Answer 4

Society today is the problem, I'm afraid. There are no morals left. Someone I know thinks nothing of going out round town, pulling the first guy she can and having sex with him behind the bus station. She is old enough, but doesn't look it, but none of the men ask her how old she is cos she is willing to go with anyone. I think parents should teach their children that their virginity is not something they need to get rid of as soon as possible, but something they should treaure and give to the right person, not the first person who comes along.

Answer 5

What does being sexually active at 16 and under have to do with being a sex offender. I'm 15, and since I was messing around with a 42 year old it makes me the offender?

Answer 6

Parents allowing it to happen! TV, films making sex out to be something fashionable and fun for kids to do never showing to use contraception. How many youths drink alcohol under 18? and smoke under 16? under 18's in night clubs.... so on and so on.. all down to parental responsibilty ,tv and famous icons not teaching the kids whats right and whats wrong to do. Rap music and other types of music talking about shagging and drugs !
come to think of it thats a good question and what exactly can we do about it?

Answer 7

There are other aspects to this question;
a) this is not an issue peculiar to Britain only
b) it is not only a matter of psychological or sociological causes. physical development is another issue. the nutrition.the new generations are better fed and they mature earlier physically as well.
Did you know girls reach mensturation age earlier thus are sexually active earlier?

Answer 8

Of course it's a problem and it's been cause by the early sex education and pear pressure. Mostly though it is all down to the education at home which should come from parents. Parents are allowing it to happen and not giving enough of attention to their kids which they crave so much at that tender age.

Answer 9

society has let this happen. sex is pushed in ours faces in this country and everyone is led to believe that everyone is doing it all the time and thats its always fantastic. adolescents just want to be grown up and they feel this is the way of acting like the grown ups do. other countrys where there are prominant red lights districts dont have this problem, i think bc its not pushed in your face 24/7 this country has a problem with sex full stop.

Answer 10

The media..parents nearly everyone is too blame..cartoons even have sexual innuendos in them which is just wrong and there is plenty of pop videos and movies with grown women getting it on with young boys..In Paris Hiltons new video she is writhing about with a teenage boy..whats wrong with a guy her own age or one that is even legal its just wrong..Everywhere you look there is SEX nobody is safe...because its children that are attacking grown women as well as little kids.