Since the United States separated from Britain, the age at which American reach puberty has steadily been falling (see Moral Panic by Philip Jenkins). Ironically, this whole time, the age of consent has gradually been rising, creating a gap between physical maturity and legal maturity. With that gap often more than five years, legal problems arise regularly. However, more problems are on the way, as certain other gaps expand as well.

With the recent change in Caucasian biology in this country, higher estrogen and lower testosterone has led to boys reaching puberty later. Yet, for girls, it has naturally done just the opposite, causing girls to continue to develop earlier. This has created a new gap between the biological maturity of boys and girls of the same age. While there has always been a gap, it stood at around two years until recently. Now, it often stands at double that.

This is what is referred to in countless modern studies as "today's early bloomers" in girls and "today's effeminate male" in boys. When my voice began to change at fifteen, I could already see biological trends altering from previous generations. Today, it's even more common for boys' voices to change later than once expected. In fact, an increasing number of boys have hairless legs well into their mid teens. Even twenty-somethings frequently have voices once considered to sound "teenish" (higher than the previous generation). Biological changes have made the once uncommon increasingly more common.

As recently as the beginning of the last century, a few southern states still had an age of consent of ten. Historically, the age of consent concerned only girls, as female virginity was such a big issue. Originally designed for their "protection", the age of consent was rarely enforced until the last century. When boys were included, the age for them was often two years higher than that of girls (such as 10 and 12, or 12 and 14), following the biological difference in male and female maturity rates. While we no longer view girls as the property of their fathers and loss of virginity as making such a possession valueless (it was necessary for marriage value), we instead view children as property of their mothers and exposure to or knowledge of sex as permanently "damaging" (a word used for physical possessions which are "broken"). In some states, the age of consent has remained closer to the age of biological maturity, however an age of 18 is far from expected maturity. Even if trends continue and boys begin maturing regularly at sixteen (the AOC in many states), girls could begin maturing at eight, making the age of consent reverse it's gender standing. However, I believe trends will plateau off, as I see European estrogen-filled culture as a good example for cases like America's.

In Biblical times, marriage often occurred at thirteen. Yet, we are "wiser" and more "progressive". Actually, we simply have different views of "childhood". It is arrogance which regularly prompts us to say we have "advanced". What is "common-sense" today will be "old fashioned" tomorrow, as history has shown us time and time again. What is the biological purpose of a sex drive, if it is against the law to use it until it begins to decline and you are forced to take pills in order to get it back up again? Adults today do everything they can to look and feel young. They take Viagra to artificially create the sex drive they naturally had as teenagers. Baby boomers are especially jealous and resentful of young people. If you know what the sixties were like, you'll understand part of why they desperately want to be young again.

With girls maturing earlier and boys later, yet another gap is expanding. Girls have always been drawn to more mature males. When girls are physically mature, their male peers still think they have "cooties". And, when males do finally mature, their female peers are so far ahead of them in maturity that males are often forced to go after younger females just to be in an equal relationship. Since it is those younger females who go after them as well, it actually works out. The problem arises with the law. For example, a fifteen year old male and an eleven year old female is one thing, but what about an eighteen year old male and a fourteen year old female? And, as we all know, many girls have crushes on adult men with "girls" being mistaken for "women" in this casual sex age, legal problems are bound to arise if men don't "check for ID". It doesn't matter if she looks the legal age or even says she is. The eyes of the law are blind. Society sees preconceived images of what people look like at certain ages. You say fourteen and they imagine a little girl, not a young woman with fully developed chest. Likewise, you say eighteen and you see a young man, not a boy who doesn't shave yet. Chronological age is irrelevant to physical and emotional maturity. And, with a simple touch now holding as many years in prison as rape, the biggest gap remains between the people being charged with violating the age of consent and justice.