This topic is, naturally, extremely volatile and confusing. What age is someone considered to be a child? What is pornography? Where does one draw the lines?

I decided (since I had nothing better to do) to check on what the legal age for marriage is around the world. I won't say I was surprised, with only two exceptions, but the results were certainly interesting. I won't bore you with references here, but I'll hang on to them for a week or so for anyone who would like them.

It seems there is a large disparity about the legal age for marriage. I would assume that most here would agree that, with the exception of arranged marriages for legal or show purposes, the act of marriage would also signify an ability for sexual relations. In the limited research I have done, the acceptable age for marriage, with the consent of parents, guardians, religious leaders and/or civil judges ranges from 9 years old to 21 years old!

Yes, I said 9 years old! That was one of the surprises. The age of puberty, as defined by Islam, is 15 years old for boys and 9 years old for girls. Though there are certain emotional/mental requirements as well, children who have reached the age of puberty are not only permitted to marry but are encouraged to do so!

In the United States, there is quite a variation between the states. Most seem to draw the line at 16 years old for girls, generally a little older for boys. In New Hampshire a girl can be married at the age of 13 (14 for boys), while in the state of Mississippi THERE IS NO MINIMUM AGE FOR MARRIAGE! With the permission of parents or of a judge children of ANY age can be married! (Surprise #2)

So let's say, for the sake of argument, that you are writing a story about having sexual relations with a married girl of 11 years. Is this still considered child pornography? What about her husband? Is he guilty of sexual abuse of a child? (Legally not, I'm sure, but morally?)

Now personally I'm not interested in any girl under the age of 18 (and I'm unlikely to find one under the age of 48 who was interested in me, but that's another story.) But I have known of girls 14 years old who comported themselves, and seemed to be as knowledgeable, as women much older. I have also known the reverse, women in their 20's who acted like teenagers, with about as much understanding of sex as a 12 year old. To my mind, there are cases where having sexual relations with a 20 year old college student could be as immoral as having sex with a 10 year old. They can be just as naive and immature.

So where does one draw the lines? It is my opinion that, for the purposes of FICTION this has to be a personal decision. As long as a writer sticks to the Library Code, and lets potential readers know what his story contains, it is up to the reader to decide whether he/she should read the story or not.