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The Federal Government should consider taking action to protect children from sexual predators, rather than leaving it up to individual states to determine statutory laws, regarding sexual relations between minors.

In one state the law regarding legal consentual sex sets the age for minors to begin having sexual relations at only 12 years. In other states the legal age for consentual sex is 18. This huge discrepancy demonstrates the need for a standard that is based less on the individual beliefs of lawmakers, and more on factual evidence in regards to how early sexual behavior impacts teens, as well as on facts regarding the physical, emotional, and mental development of children.

At what age does a child become a consenting adult? The physical development of a child does not necessarily reflect emotional, mental and spiritual development. A child of 12 years old may have the physical body of a 20 year old, yet does he or she have the mental and emotional capacity to handle a sexual relationship? To give legal permission to allow a child of this age to engage in sexual relations is inviting disaster.

In adolescent and early teen years children are engaging in relationships on a purely experimental level. Through these early relationships they are developing the mental, emotional and social skills necessary to have a healthy relationship as an adult. Relationships at this age should be short-lived, as children and teens learn more about themselves and how well they do or do not relate to others, on a romantic level. For states to send the message to teens that it is ok (legal) to engage in sexual contact at this early stage in life, is simply encouraging these young people to make decisions they clearly are not ready to undertake.

Teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases among teens is a national problem. Whether due to lack of concern, or lack of education in this subject area, on the part of law-makers, laws need to be more consistant, and to safe guard the health and well being of the children under jurisdiction. Extremely lenient state laws undermine parents efforts to protect their children and encourage them in the direction of healthy sexual behavior. Anyone who has raised a teen knows that they are well aware of the legal age of consent in their state, and use this knowledge as a weapon against a parent, who is hoping to raise that teen with a healthy attitude toward sexual behavior.

Setting the legal age on a Federal level will eliminate the huge variables currently seen in statutory laws, and will also send a strong message to teens about healthy sexual behavior. Using factual evidence in regards to brain development in the teen and early adult years to determine the legal age a child can give "consent" (knowing and understanding the possible consequences of their choice) will assist young people in dealing with the pressures of adolescence and early adulthood, regarding sexual behavior.

The human brain is developing until the age of 26. During the later teen years, childrens brains are still forming the ability to make logical decisions, based on more than simple emotion. Before age 17 studies suggest that children are still making most of their decisions based on current emotions, with little ability to reason out, or think through consequences. Giving children of this age legal permission to follow their hormonal, and emotional impulses, is giving them adutl permission to make unhealthy choices,as well as undermining parents who are trying to encourage their child in a different direction. It is also creating a society of sexually active young people, contributing to the problem of teen pregnancy, and encouraging the spread of STD's among teens.

Learn more about this author, Randa Morris.
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