Children’s Advocate backs raising age of consent to 18

Jamaica's Children's Advocate Diahann Gordon-Harrison is backing a proposal to raise the age of consent from 16 to 18, saying the move could strengthen protections for minors amid ongoing concerns about teenage pregnancy and exploitative relationships.

"Exploitative relationships with men who are significantly older" remain a key driver behind some of those pregnancies, according to Gordon-Harrison.

The position comes after comments from Opposition Spokesman on Education Damion Crawford, who urged Parliament this week to consider the change, pointing to an estimated 6,000 pregnancies among schoolgirls each year - many of which disrupt their education.

Pointing to a study conducted by the World Bank on school dropouts, Crawford noted that 49 per cent of girls were forced out of schools in 2017 because of pregnancy.

"We, therefore, are asking for a reconsideration once again of the age of consent and I once again believe that this Parliament should consider the movement from 16 to 18 as we move from a five-year secondary institution to a seven-year experience going forward. Move forward. We have to protect our children and to that extent, we're asking for these things to be considered," Crawford said.

Speaking with THE STAR, Gordon-Harrison said while some teenage pregnancies result from relationships between peers, a significant number involve older men.

"We do have teenagers who are getting into sexual relationships with other teenagers, and sometimes that does lead to pregnancy," she said. "But we also have quite a number of teenagers who are in what really is exploitative relationships with men who are significantly older... and also end up impregnating them."

The proposal has reignited debate about whether raising the legal age would better protect minors or risk criminalising behaviour already present among teenagers.

Gordon-Harrison also pointed to another concern - births where fathers are not named - as an indicator of unstable and often inappropriate relationships.

"In many instances these relationships do not last, and the teen mother is left to raise the child on her own," she said.

Gordon-Harrison, who has previously addressed the issue in Parliament, said she supports aligning the age of consent with Jamaica's age of majority.

"In Jamaica, anybody under the age of 18 is considered a child, and in my view we should protect all children," she said.

AVOID Criminalising MINORS

However, she stressed that any legal reform must avoid criminalising minors engaged in close-in-age relationships.

"I have proposed that we don't criminalise those children," she said. "Instead, we should have close-in-age exceptions, where they are guided towards responsible sexual behaviour and healthier social relationships."

At the same time, she made it clear she does not support sexual activity among minors. "It is not okay that children are having sex at all," she said. "But where they are making decisions they are not equipped to make, I don't believe that is a problem the court should correct. That speaks to deeper social issues, poor judgment, and a lack of understanding around sexual and reproductive health."

She argued that raising the age of consent could also send a stronger signal to older men engaged in predatory behaviour. "It would assist in sending a message to men who are having predatory and exploitative relationships with young girls that they are off limits," she said. "Not because they have reached 16 can you go ahead, but the law is clearly drawing a line in the sand."

Still, she cautioned that legislation alone will not solve the issue, pointing to enforcement gaps and entrenched cultural attitudes. "We have the legislative framework in place, but there are challenges with enforcement," she said, noting that communities sometimes normalise inappropriate relationships.

"There are situations where people say they always knew a young girl was involved with a much older man, but nothing was done," she added. "One of the biggest gaps is that culturally, we turn a blind eye to things that are wrong, and so they are not being red flagged early enough for intervention."

Gordon-Harrison said meaningful change will require sustained public education, particularly around bodily autonomy, consent, and communication. "Children must be sensitised about what it means to have autonomy over their own bodies and be empowered to speak when something feels wrong," she said.

She also emphasised the role of parents and educators, noting that schools are often the first place where warning signs emerge. "Parent education goes a very far way, and educators have a front-row seat to identify when something seems off," she said.