Has nobody here heard of the "Half your age plus seven" rule? Quite simply, it dictates that the younger party in a relationship can be no younger than half of the older party's age, plus seven. Otherwise, it's creepy. I find it to be remarkably accurate. The acceptable age gap widens with the age of both parties.
-20 and 17, right on the border, not really creepy
-18 and 15, the younger party is a year too young, creepy
Also, since this sort of thing interests me, I looked up "contributing to the delinquency of a minor". The laws involved pertain almost entirely to providing alcohol to minors. (Source:
findlaw. Also has a handy definition of
juvenile delinquency, which mostly means doing things that would be a crime if they were an adult.) You're in new york state, yes? I found an
article on this subject from a NYS criminal defense lawyer. Here's the salient parts:
The first version of child endangerment can be charged under a wide variety of circumstances. For example, this crime can be charged when law enforcement believes that the person accused has:
-committed an act of domestic violence or assault in front of a child; or
-driven under the influence of alcohol or while impaired by drugs (DWI) with a child in the vehicle (this is now also a felony DWI charge under Leandra’s Law); or
-sold drugs in the presence of a child; or
-provided the child with alcohol or drugs.
...
Subsection 2 of Endangering the Welfare of a Child applies only to the child's parent or guardian...
The failure to provide for these basic needs can result in a criminal prosecution when it is alleged that the parent or guardian refuses to exercise "reasonable diligence" in the control of such child under 17 to prevent the child from becoming:
(This mostly pertains to providing food and ensuring they get to school -S)
abused; or
neglected; or
child in need of supervision (often called "Person in Need of Supervision" or PINS); or
a juvenile delinquent.
Finally, I found the
original text of the law. Here's the section your crazy relatives were referring to:
S 260.10 Endangering the welfare of a child.
A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child when:
1. He or she knowingly acts in a manner likely to be injurious to the
physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than seventeen years
old or directs or authorizes such child to engage in an occupation
involving a substantial risk of danger to his or her life or health; or
2. Being a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the
care or custody of a child less than eighteen years old, he or she fails
or refuses to exercise reasonable diligence in the control of such child
to prevent him or her from becoming an "abused child," a "neglected
child," a "juvenile delinquent" or a "person in need of supervision," as
those terms are defined in articles ten, three and seven of the family
court act.
3. A person is not guilty of the provisions of this section when he or
she engages in the conduct described in subdivision one of section
260.00 of this article: (a) with the intent to wholly abandon the child
by relinquishing responsibility for and right to the care and custody of
such child; (b) with the intent that the child be safe from physical
injury and cared for in an appropriate manner; (c) the child is left
with an appropriate person, or in a suitable location and the person who
leaves the child promptly notifies an appropriate person of the child's
location; and (d) the child is not more than thirty days old.
Endangering the welfare of a child is a class A misdemeanor.
It also continues a bit with specifics relating to handicapped children, and charges for allowing minors into bars or brothels. Zehive, you sound like you read up on this already, but I hope this settles anyone else's questions as well.
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Topic: Help with getting past my parents (Read 1868 times)