RCNI Press Release 11 April 2008

Fiona Neary, RCNI Director, said ‘this research clearly shows that adults must be brave enough to set boundaries for our children and teenagers for their wellbeing and protection. It is clear that young teenagers welcome and get support from measures which set limits and boundaries on their sexual availability. The age of consent and statutory rape laws must be promoted and strengthened to meet society’s responsibility to children. This is convincing evidence-based data which demonstrates the requirement for keeping the age of consent as it currently is, at 17.

‘Of the small minority of teenagers who did have sex before the age of consent the majority of them regretted how young they started. The poor health implications and risks for those children who start having sex too-young are significant. They include higher risks of crisis pregnancy and abortion as well as an increased likelihood of establishing a pattern of unprotected sex resulting in higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases.’

‘Any debates on changing the age of consent must be informed by evidence based data such as this, and not only by anecdotal media coverage which frequently promotes the misinformation that increasing numbers of teenagers have sex at younger ages and that this is inevitable.’


Notes:
* The RCNI is the national Rape Crisis Sector body, which provides a strong voice for survivors and is a catalyst for social change to end rape and all forms of sexual violence.


For information contact:

Cliona Saidlear: 087 2196447