New sex law opens a can of worms
Are young children emotionally mature to have sex?
A new sex law, which states children between the ages of 12 and 15 years old may have consensual sex, has caused an uproar.
Even though it was announced during this week, it remains a concern to some parents who may have children between these ages.
Eyewitness News (EWN) reported changes to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill states that children between the ages of 12 and 15 years can consent to having sex with each other.
“Although children between the ages of 12 and 15 years are not emotionally developed to have sex, children as young as six years old can be stimulated and have a climax,” said Freda Steenkamp, Director at Westview Alcohol and Drug Rehab Clinic.
According to Freda, children at that age are prone to vaginal tear during sexual intercourse and are more susceptible to contracting HIV.
“It could also lead to sexual addiction as having sex at an early age could cause them to feel guilt and have a low self-esteem,” Freda said.
Freda also said “Many of the children do not know what they are doing. Some of them are exposed to sexual intercourse via television or their parents and based on what they have seen, they experiment.”
A psychologist from Helderkruin said through her experience of having dealt with children, she found that many teenagers are pressurised from their friends. This results in them performing badly at school.
She also said many teenagers are sexually active and there are cases where teenagers decide to have sex because of fear of not being popular amongst their peers.
“This new law might make children think permission to have sex is granted to them.
What do you think about the new law?
Will it cause a spike in unwanted pregnancies? Let us know.
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