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Culture War Roundup for the week of February 2, 2026

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https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-06416-014 https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/208803.pdf

First link shows 20 and 21 year olds report being attracted to 15 and 15.5 year olds. Older men in their twenties report close minimums to that, it rises 1/2 a year per male year of age, so men don't report not liking teenagers until they are 30. Second link shows the vast majority of statutory rape prosecutions are of 14 and 15 year old girls, involving males aged just 18 to 24. Which is, of course, the age range that reports minimum preferred female ages ranging from 14 to 17. My takeaway is that age of consent laws over 14 or 15 primarily act to felonize normal young men under 25, with very thin justification, since these are natural and consensual relationships between young people.

My takeaway is that age of consent laws over 14 or 15 primarily act to felonize normal young men under 25, with very thin justification

Yes, this is troubling. The predictable consequence of taking a genuine concern and putting it in the hands of bureaucrats and law enforcement operating under perverted incentive structures.