Is it wrong for a 21 year old to date a 17 year old.

I argue yes.

Others tell me there is no harm.

Discuss.

depends on the 17 year old. And the 21 year old. I know some very mature 17 year olds. And some very immature 21 year olds.

Yes, it is. She's not legal, that's the end of that.

Agreed. It depends.

And no, Jerry, there's nothing wrong with "dating" 21:17. Nothing illegal about that. Unless MM decides to get her drunk and all.....

I remember hearing tons of cases of "statutory rape" charges being pressed on people dating 19:17 by stupid parents.

In Colorado, over 16 is okay for up to five years older. So a 16 year-old could potentially date (screw) a 21 year-old, but 22 is not okay. A 17 year-old could date a 22-year old, but 23 is not okay.

But really, it comes down to maturity. Most 17 year-olds don't really want the same relationship commitments as a 21 year-old. I wouldn't really want to get into that relationship, because it's probably not gonna end so good, but you never know.

NO it does not "depend". Once you are 21, you need to NOT date anyone younger than 21. Period. If you don't want sh*t coming down on you potentially, then DON'T do it. Regardless of what state you are in, what the law "says", or how "mature" the 17 year old is. No ifs, ands, or buts. End of story.

There was a story (I can't find it) where a young teenager was being pursued for rape. The girl was 18 and the boy was like, 15, or something like that. I looked it up and the "age of consent" in that state (Maryland) is 14. 14! You have got to be kidding! The law is the law no matter where you are, but sometimes the law is ridiculous.

I am 4 years older than eljay, but we met when she was 21, not 17.

I thought 18 was the legal age. So a 21 f**king an 18 year old is well within the confines of the law. An eager 18 year old with a nice perky pair of breasts and a plump little ass and...

s**t. I kind of strayed a bit from the subject there, didn't I? Sorry about that.

My dear godson, who is now 24, has been living with his girlfriend for at least 4 years. We've just learned she's 19. He lied about her age to his parents and incredibly, her parents went along with all of this.

Of course. She got pregnant. Beautiful 8 lb + boy born last week.

He's 24...going on 19. She's 19 going on 19.

So..she was 15...I think her parents were setting her up for a "catch".

I'm pissed about that, but happy they have a healthy little boy.

It must be argued that

A: In PA, the age of consent has a four year difference. I.E...

14-18
15-19
16-20
17-21

Here is the article on Wiki with all the appropriate links...

AGE OF CONSENT

Im not getting involved with this girl, it was just a discussion. :D Im smarter then that.

*heh* girl scouts are fine, if you can find the time, love is strange.

It depends on the laws of the state you reside in.

Age of consent aside and maturity aside, the only issue that I foresee is you are now 21 and of legal drinking age. You may want to hit the clubs or bars. She can not. That could cause problems in itself.

When you are 25 and she is 21, no one would question the age difference or the age of both of you. So.......

I think it's bad idea, honestly. There are many differences between people of those ages. The expectations will be very different and there's a lot of potential for someone to get hurt. There really is a bigger difference between someone who's 18 and someone who's 21 than there is between someone who's 30 and someone who's 40.

Having said that...I dated guys who were more than 4 years older than me when I was 17-18. Older guys weren't as focused on sex, and were more entertaining.

hehe... Hey Maven, those guys were focused on sex, they were just more slick about it.

Same thing. ;)

When I was 17 I dated a 22 year old.

My vote goes to the "they shouldn't date".

BTW, he was a great guy, aside from actually dating a 17 year old. I didn't have any bad experiences with him, except for that time when we were tripping and I thought I was dying. But still, I was too young and he was too old. The age difference wouldn't have been an issue if we were older, but a high schooler shouldn't date an adult. Period.

Yes, but your peener may not be.

I'm 11 years older than my wife, but she was 22 when we started dating. I don't see any problem there, but I have a cousin who dated a 16 year old at age 20 or 21. He ALMOST went to prison over that one. 16-17 year olds should date 16-17 year olds. The over 21's should leave them alone.

Depends on the people. I have seen it work, and I have seen it REALLY not work. Don't do it if her parents aren't cool with it. That way leads to badness.