2.5.3 Child Sexual Abuse

Because children cannot consent to any sexual behavior, having sex with anyone under the age of 13 is automatically considered rape.

For child survivors, sexual assault can impair a child’s development in ways that lead to lifetime challenges.

The laws against statutory sexual assault vary by country as do the ages at which teenagers are assumed to be able to give legal consent to have sex.

Usually these laws prohibit young adolescents, 13 years of age and older, from having sex with someone who is four or more years older than they are, due to issues related to power and control.