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Below the age of consent: Influences on moral and legal judgments of adult-adolescent sexual relationships

Horvath, Miranda A. H., Giner-Sorolla, Roger (2007) Below the age of consent: Influences on moral and legal judgments of adult-adolescent sexual relationships. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37 (12). pp. 2980-3009. ISSN 1559-1816; 0021-9029. (doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00290.x) (KAR id:36628)

Abstract

Sexual age-of-consent violations involving adult-adolescent relationships (AARs) are sometimes viewed with ambivalence by the media and are infrequently prosecuted. Two studies conducted in Britain (where the age of consent is 16) examined influences on disapproval of minimally presented AARs between a 14-year-old and a 30-year-old. In Study 1, AARs involving an older man were seen as more harmful and objectionable than those involving an older woman. A second study on a jury-eligible adult population replicated Study 1's gender effects, and also found a difference between legal knowledge and personal belief that the older person had committed a crime. Gender effects in both studies were mediated by perceived harm and emotions.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00290.x
Uncontrolled keywords: age of consent: moral judgments, legal judgments, adult adolescent sexual relationships, human sex differences, legal knowledge, personal belief, Age Differences, Judgment, Legal Processes, Morality, Sexual Intercourse (Human), Human Sex Differences
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Roger Giner-Sorolla
Date Deposited: 20 Nov 2013 12:03 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:13 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/36628 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Giner-Sorolla, Roger.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6690-8842
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