"Laws are (or at least should be) in place to prevent exploitation. Informed, consentual sex is not exploitation, however rashly entered into."

Informed -- that's key to your proposal. There is a presumption that teenagers are capable of processing actions and consequences in the same way as adults. This is demonstrably false for most teenagers. The fact that some (I would argue a small minority, clothing styles and MTV imagery notwithstanding) teenagers *are* capable of that level of foresight is immaterial: laws are necessarily general and broad in nature. Some kids are probably capable of running a household at 13, but we don't let them move out and live on their own, because these things cannot be handled on an individual basis.

You can't craft a law that says "Behavior X is OK for people who are emotionally capable of engaging it, but illegal for those who are not." Who would be the judge? The adult in the situation? What incentive would they have to put the brakes on such a "relationship" if there were no danger of punishment or even of coming under scrutiny? Their teenage partner will likely say "but I wanted it to happen!", regardless of their ability to think through the full consequences of their actions. Of course they would say that, but that doesn't make it true.

I find these justifications for adult-teenager sexual liasions (and I don't mean a 19-year-old with his/her 17-year-old girlfriend/boyfriend -- I do agree with laws that are crafted with age differentials in mind) incredibly creepy and slightly nauseating. Of course teenagers are sexual -- so are toddlers for god's sake! -- but that doesn't mean they can or should be used to satisfy the desires of adults who are by definition in a position of authority over them. That doesn't make me a prude, or one of those abstinence-only clowns; that makes me a responsible, mature adult who knows that even though I may want something, that doesn't mean I get to have it. Some things are just off limits, and it's my job to recognize those limits and act appropriately.

I have a friend who, as a high-school student, was involved with his teacher. As far as he's concerned, it was consensual, and he often refers to her as his "first girlfriend."

But that relationship has left some marks on him.

For starters, his radar as to what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate discussion of sexual matters with the opposite sex is decidedly off. He has a habit of unintentionally making female friends uncomfortable with overtures that are not necessarily meant entirely in earnest, but are still too creepy for comfort. He's a little too into porn. Most of all, he's very, very insecure sexually, mostly because he is very aware that his first sexual encounters were not "normal" by any stretch of the imagination.

A relationship between a teacher and a student, no matter which gender is the teacher and which is the student, invariably laces sex with issues of power. Teachers are people of authority, people who are supposed to educate and nurture students, not use them to gratify their own selfish needs. In nearly every situation where a teacher pursues a student, there is, on the teacher's part, a desire to use the relationship with the student to meet some unsatisfied need for attention or affection. It may not be malicious, but it IS an abuse of the teacher's position.

It simply isn't fair to the student to place her or him in a position where a person in authority can essentially use them as a tool to work out their emotional/sexual issues. A teacher is in a unique position of trust. Students are encouraged to look to teachers and admire them. It's way too easy for a teacher to use this admiration to manipulate a young boy or girl into a romantic relationship. And it doesn't matter how mature the kid may be, he or she is at a distinct disadvantage in terms of having the emotional wherewithal to make real choices.

We set the age of consent for so many things at 18 for a reason -- until that age, most youngsters aren't from a developmental standpoint capable of fully reasoning though the reprecussions of their actions or understanding potential consequences. And anyone who thinks that sex has no reprecussions is kidding themselves. Sex with a teacher has even MORE reprecussions than sex with a peer. But, just for argument's sake, let's say that perhaps the age of sexual consent could be lowered. Lowering it in all cases might be inappropriate. When it comes to sex, consent happens in context. We as a society acknowledge that one can be pressured into sex inappropriately when one person has more power or wherewithal than the other. While teens may indeed be capable of consenting to sex with each other, that doesn't mean they are capable of consenting to sex with an adult, particularly a teacher.

I'm not sure what Karnasiewicz is trying to defend here, but if her point is that the age of consent should be lowered with respect to sex, or that somehow statutory rape inflicted on a student by a teacher has fewer ramefications for boy students than for girls, then she needs to serious think a little harder.

Any sexual relationship where there is an inequality of power, such

as teacher-student, or where events limit the emotional or psychological ability of one party to handle the realities of the experience is abusive in nature. A 15 year old male may be physically

mature but having the sexual experience with the older woman does not

prepare him for a sound sexual relationship psychologically or connect sexuality with love. He's put into an idolized situation and most likely cannot make a sound judgement on the emotional stability of his partner.And will be likely to try to reenact the idolized situation in his life.

There's few things in the universe that apply 100% of the time. Is there the possibility of that some 15 year old males might be undamaged by the event? Sure. Is it likely? No.

A 15-year-old female can be physically ready to give birth. Is it likely she's emotionally ready for parenthood? No. Is it likely a 15-year-old male ready for parenthood? There is the possibility (depending again upon the emotional stability of the sexual partner) where pregnancy might happen.

Let's not confuse biology capability with psychological health.