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Originally Posted by Halx
So, what if I concede that maybe a 7 year old may not be able to look out for themselves, would your statement hold true for someone who is 11?
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Yes, for the vast majority, for 13 somewhat less, for 16 even less, for 18 it would only hold for a few who are late in mental development.
Anything based on a birthday is arbitrary. In my work I think of 'normal' growth as about +- 4 years. I've seen 12 year olds who looked like they were 16 and 12 year olds who looked (and acted) 7. So a birthday will not be equal to all but its the best we can do.
Since we can't realistically test each child for their mental state in terms of sexual consent and maturity we err on the side of caution. 18 is most likely a bit on the over cautious side but I support it because it does over all protect them at a time where most may be sexually mature but are still dumb asses when it comes to decision making and maturity.