Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Lost in the debate...

...about what method of sex ed is appropriate appears to be the little question of whether "mandatory reporters" of likely cases of statutory rape are actually going to report them. As the great uncle of a little boy whose then-15-year-old mother was impregnated by an adult, I'd have to guess that the teen pregnancy rate would plummet if the older "boyfriends" of teen girls knew that the local DA would be glad to prosecute statutory rape.

I'd also guess that it would plunge still further if welfare authorities were serious about collecting child support from fathers.

Yes, what's taught in sex ed is important, but I dare suggest that teens and those who would sleep with them are listening more closely to the deafening silence from district attorneys, welfare caseworkers, and "mandatory reporters" in these matters.

2 comments:

Gino said...

the issue with enforcement can get muddled.
at what point do you want to jail them?

17 yo gal and 18 yo boy, dating for three yrs and in the same classes at harvard university?
yeah, not likely,huh?

meanwhile,everybody can agree that a 35 yo male who screws a 12yo girl needs to go down.

its when you get to the parameters/circumstances somewhere in the middle that it gets less clear.

and why it is so hard to prosecute clearly.

Bike Bubba said...

Not that difficult; state laws encode this kind of thing. I'd be more amenable to the "how do we decide?" question if in fact the legislatures of the nation hadn't already decided.

And also if people actually bothered to report it, as required by law.