I've wondered what the age of consent laws are, regarding a minor having sex with another minor. For example, as far as I know a 16 year old boy and his 14 year old girlfriend could have sex - however in cases of rape or molestation, where the victim is an older minor (ex. a 16 year old boy molests a 7 year old girl I'm sure is illegal even though he's not legally an adult) - what do they use legally determine the crime (ex. 'juvenile sex offenses')?
It obviously varies by jurisdiction. Most Western nations have some kind of social recognition that nominally consensual sex between teenagers just under the age of consent isn't usually cause for legal action. In some places that's written in to law (say, it not being illegal if both partners and between 14 and 16 or if there is less than a years difference in their ages for example) while other places rely on common sense from police and prosecutors, where it would remain technically illegal but they would rule prosecution "not in the public interest". Of course, it's worth remembering that 99% of sexual activity between underage teenagers isn't going to come to the attention of anyone in authority at all.
