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whY is it illegal?
Why is it illegal for a 14 y old to go out with a 19 y olad?
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Well simply because the 14 year old is a minor and the 19 year old is an adult.
Some states have a 2 or 3 year gap where it's fine though.
Besides the legality of the issue, there's also the fact that the 14 and the 19 year old are in different stages in life. The 14 year old is barely in high school while the 19 year old has graduated and is moving on with their life. They both will be wanting different things.
It's not the age gap that's the problem, besides the 14 year old being the minor. Because if one was 24 and the other was 29, there would be no problems because they're both in the same stages in life and looking for the same things.
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The simple fact is that the 14 year old is a minor in almost all countries and the 19 year old is a legal adult. As a 14 year old in most countries, and I will assume we are talking about the USA for this discussion, and in all states a minor is under the age of consent. Meaning you cannot consent to sex or much of anything.
Now the age of consent varies a bit from state to state and some states, although most have withdrawn this law, allow a age gap of 3 to 4 years between ages before the older person can be charged with anything illegal.
In this instance the older person can be charged with the following crimes: Contributing to the delinquency of a minor; being a pedophile and Statutory Rape. To be charged with Statutory Rape sex does not have to have occurred it is assumed. All of these charges are real and carry steep jail terms up to life in prison in some states.
The simple fact is there is no reason a 19 year old should be dating a 14 year old. There is something wrong when someone of this age dates so much lower than their age. It is generally thought to be because they do not interact well with people their age or they have pedophile tendencies.
These laws are designed to protect young children especially young teenagers who may think it is great to be able to attract someone so much older than they are.
If you are the 14 year old in this type of relationship I urge you to tell your parents. Let them handle it and you should not contact this person any more. There is something very wrong here and you could be hurt or worse.
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16 is the age that you can legally have a sexual relationships depending on the country. In some countries I've heard that it is 18. Anyway you're 14 and if you had a sexual encounter with a 19 year old it is classed as rape and he might get in trouble.
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Because they cannot be equals. The 19 year old has way more power than the 14 year old can have. They have the power to own things, to make choices about where they live and where they go.
It's the power imbalance that makes it wrong. Like a doctor or teacher dating a patient or student, when one person has lots and lots of power, and another person has none, a relationship cannot be equal, respectful, or sometimes even safe.
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