Age of consent: at what age can you have sex?

 

Sex Education"

If you have growing children or are a teenager yourself, you are probably wondering what the age of consent is and at what age can you have sex? This is exactly what we will talk about today.

The age of sexual consent is the age at which a person is considered capable of giving informed consent to sex. In Russia, the age of consent is 16 years old. However, it is not enshrined in law, for example, in the Constitution. This figure is based on the Criminal Code, which states that any sexual relationship with a person under 16 years of age is considered a crime.

But there are nuances here too: for example, any actions towards a child under 12 years old are considered rape in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Legal responsibility for it will be borne by the one who committed the illegal actions - be it a teenager over 14 years of age, or an adult over 18 years of age. If the child is 12 years of age or older, this is already interpreted as sexual assault.

Also, do not confuse the age of consent and the age of marriage. The latter in the Russian Federation occurs automatically upon turning 18 years old, that is, it coincides with the onset of full legal capacity of a citizen.

Age of consent in different countries

"Sex Education"

The age of consent does not exist in all countries. For example, France officially established it only in 2021 - then at the legislative level it was generally accepted that the age of consent was 15 years.

In neighboring countries, such as Germany and Italy, the age of consent is 14 years old. But the UK is a little stricter - there the age of consent is the same as in Russia, at 16 years. Until 1885, the age limit was different - 13 years old, but after much debate it was finally raised.

For a long time, the age of consent in Japan was 13, which was often criticized by other countries and local residents. However, in 2023 it was decided to raise the age of consent, and now it also begins at 16 years old.

In some countries, such as Anglola, Burkina Faso and the Philippines, the age of consent is very early - at 12 years old. It is also not very clear how things are in Muslim countries, where there is no question of consent to sex at all, because it is not possible before marriage. And only the parents of the bride and groom decide at what time to get married, which also does not end well: in Iran, Iraq and Yemen, the age of the bride can not exceed 10 years.