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The present legal age of consent for sex in Nova Scotia is 16 years of age. Why is the
legal age for drinking and smoking much higher? Both drinking and smoking are
risky behaviours with perhaps even less danger and life-changing impact than
sexual activity. We are sending a mixed message
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"Studies in
Canada show that increased availability of birth control
actually led to higher sexual involvement along with
corresponding negative results such as increased teen
pregnancy." |
to kids that says, “Sex is dangerous, so use a condom (which may or
may not help)” but then say, “Smoking is dangerous so don’t smoke.” We do not
offer school kids extra filters for their cigarettes. We tell them “Smoking is
not for you.” We do not educate children in how much they should drink to avoid
getting drunk. We tell them, “Drinking is not for you.” Why do we seem so afraid
to say to our children, “Sex is not for you”? What parent of a 16 year old
wouldn’t blink an eye at their child’s arrival home from school to announce
they’ll be up in their room having sex with friends? Are we simply trying to
avoid guilt associated with questions like, "Mommy has sex with her boyfriend,
why can't I?"
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The Canadian Police
Association (CPA) put out a Fact Sheet in March of 2003
entitled, "PROTECTION OF CHILDREN." In it they wrote:
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The Age of Consent Should be Raised to at least 16
The age of consent for children to have sex with
older persons is currently lower than the age that
applies for child prostitution and child
pornography. The CPA seeks to raise the age of
consent for children to have sexual relations with
older persons to at least age 16.
(emphasis ours) |
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Presently, the age of
consent for sexual activity in Canada is 16 years of age.
According to an Interpol article:
Age of
consent for sexual activity
According to section 151 of the Criminal Code, the legal age
for consenting to a sexual activity is fourteen (14) years
(hopefully this page will be updated to the new age of
consent of 16 years of age)
'Every person who, for a sexual
purpose, touches, directly or indirectly, with a part of the
body or with an object, any part of the body a person under
the age of fourteen (14) years is guilty of an indictable
offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
ten years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary
conviction.'
(source)
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According to The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC), "Children
involved in prostitution range in age from 10 to 18, while the average
age is often 14, which, until May of 2008, was the age of consent in Canada."
(source)
The
age of consent in Canada changed in May of 2008 to 16. This page
will be updated soon when more clarity to this is found. |