Canadian dating laws

Brochure: Respect Sexual Consent

For youth under 18 years old, there are different rules for when you can legally consent to sexual activity, depending on your age. Read more below about what Canadian law says about what age you have to be to give valid consent to sexual activity. In Canada, for any sexual activity or sexual touching to be legal, it has to be done with the voluntarily permission of every person involved. Sexual activity or sexual touching without consent is against the criminal law, no matter what your age. In Canada, you have to be 16 years old to be able to legally agree to sexual activity. Sexual activity includes a range of activity from kissing to sexual intercourse and cannot include any abuse or exploitation. If you are 16 or 17, you have reached the age of consent for sexual activity, as long as your partner is at least 14 years old. It does not matter if the teen gave their permission because the consent is not considered legally valid. What is Consent? At what age can you agree to sexual activity if you are under 18?

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In North America , the legal age of consent relating to sexual activity varies by jurisdiction. As of August , each U. In the case of the state of Washington , the age of consent rises to 21 for the specific instance student-teacher sex the age of consent in the state of Washington is otherwise As of April , of the total fifty U. The age of consent in Mexico is complex.

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When someone reaches the age of consent in Canada, they can legally agree to sexual activity. Meanwhile, the criminal law sets severe penalties for those who engage in sexual activities with young persons below the age of consent, penalizing such activities by Canadians both inside and outside of Canada.

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Age of Consent in Ontario

In Canada, there is no prohibition against dating a minor who is sixteen years old or younger, provided that the date does not involve any sexual activity. Any sexual activity, ranging from sexual touching to sexual intercourse, with a minor of sixteen years or younger who is more than five years your junior is considered a criminal offence. The age at which a minor can legally consent to sexual activity, otherwise known as the 'age of protection', is defined in Canada.

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