Rejected petition: Reform consent laws to include age-gap protections for 16–17-year-olds
Rejected on
We call on the UK Government to reform consent laws to include age-gap protections for 16–17-year-olds.
While the age of consent in the UK is 16, this does not account for significant power imbalances that can exist between teenagers and much older adults.
. Large age differences can increase the risk of coercion, manipulation, and exploitation, even where consent is technically given.
We believe the law should better reflect these risks by introducing clearer protections for young people aged 16–17. This could include establishing a maximum age difference in relationships involving minors, while maintaining existing laws on grooming, abuse of trust, and exploitation.
Such reforms would help prevent significantly older adults from pursuing relationships with teenagers, reduce the risk of harm, and provide clearer legal boundaries that prioritise the safety and wellbeing of young people.
We urge the Government to review current legislation and introduce age-gap safeguards to strengthen protections for 16–17-year-olds.
Why was this petition rejected?
There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.
You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.
You may wish to sign the following petition, which calls for similar action:
Raise the age of consent to 18 with peer exception for 16-17 year olds
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767458We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.