by BrandiD » Wed Apr 20, 2016 6:12 am
I actually know a man who lost his virginity when he was young (at eight years old) to a fifteen year old girl, but from my understanding it was consensual, she always would have stopped had he asked, and now at thirty-four he'll say he doesn't regret it. He doesn't consider that to have been abusive. So you're right, it really can be a gray area.
But like the above poster said, force and manipulation is usually where the line can be drawn, I'd say. . . . When I was eight I had a friend who was a little bit pushy about me showing her breasts, but she never forced me to do anything and I don't really remember her treating me differently, so I certainly wouldn't call that abuse. If, on the other hand, she had threatened to get me in trouble in some way or another (which would be manipulation), I would call that abuse.
I feel like childhood exploration isn't really talked about all that often, but perhaps it should be, at least a little bit more. I'm not necessarily saying that I think young kids should have sex, but I am saying that in the event that, say, two ten year olds have sex, that shouldn't be considered abusive unless one guilted the other into it (just for example), manipulated them, forced them, etc.