child sexual abuse is outlawed in every developed country, generally with severe criminal penalties
And yet, other things that cause children as much or more harm (such as emotional abuse) are not similarly outlawed. This raises a strong suggestion that this has more to do with parents’ interests than childrens’ interests.
Evolutionarily, parents have a strong incentive to exert influence over their childrens’ choice of sexual partners. Actually, they have strong incentives to exert influence over their childrens’ choices, period, but this is especially true for children’s sexual choices… which is why teenage girls are now getting slapped with “sex offender” and “child pornographer” labels for sending naked cellphone pictures to their boyfriends.
Is it more important for a child to experience sex with an adult than being well-integrated into society?
It it more important for them to be a rational thinker than to be well-integrated into society, whatever that means? Are we abusing children by teaching them to be atheists?
I don’t have any answers to these questions; I’m just pointing out that your reasoning here is suspect. If we were to determine the legality or morality of relationships on the basis of possible emotional harm or social approbation, nobody would be in a relationship at all. Yet, people often choose relationships with others who their family, friends, or entire society are against.
(If we substitute e.g. “Is it more important for a person to have sex outside their race/gender/religion than to be well-integrated into society”, the fallacy is even clearer.)
An argument against large age gaps in sexual relationships due to consent issues, however, is a different kettle of fish. If we say that children below some age can’t reasonably consent to a particular activity due to lack of self-control or adequate contextualization ability, that’s a bit more reasonable, although you then get into a lot of line-drawing arguments about how young is too young. (Some people, OTOH, will likely never be mature enough to have a decent relationship, but at some point you’ve got to let it be their responsibility.)
And yet, other things that cause children as much or more harm (such as emotional abuse) are not similarly outlawed. This raises a strong suggestion that this has more to do with parents’ interests than childrens’ interests.
Evolutionarily, parents have a strong incentive to exert influence over their childrens’ choice of sexual partners. Actually, they have strong incentives to exert influence over their childrens’ choices, period, but this is especially true for children’s sexual choices… which is why teenage girls are now getting slapped with “sex offender” and “child pornographer” labels for sending naked cellphone pictures to their boyfriends.
It it more important for them to be a rational thinker than to be well-integrated into society, whatever that means? Are we abusing children by teaching them to be atheists?
I don’t have any answers to these questions; I’m just pointing out that your reasoning here is suspect. If we were to determine the legality or morality of relationships on the basis of possible emotional harm or social approbation, nobody would be in a relationship at all. Yet, people often choose relationships with others who their family, friends, or entire society are against.
(If we substitute e.g. “Is it more important for a person to have sex outside their race/gender/religion than to be well-integrated into society”, the fallacy is even clearer.)
An argument against large age gaps in sexual relationships due to consent issues, however, is a different kettle of fish. If we say that children below some age can’t reasonably consent to a particular activity due to lack of self-control or adequate contextualization ability, that’s a bit more reasonable, although you then get into a lot of line-drawing arguments about how young is too young. (Some people, OTOH, will likely never be mature enough to have a decent relationship, but at some point you’ve got to let it be their responsibility.)