Children's Advocate supports lifting age of consent to 18

Children's Advocate Diahann Gordon-Harrison has come out in support of a proposal to lift Jamaica's age of consent from 16 to 18, arguing that the shift could give minors stronger protection against exploitation and curb teenage pregnancy.

According to Gordon-Harrison, "Exploitative relationships with men who are significantly older" continue to fuel a sizeable share of those pregnancies.

Her endorsement follows a call from Opposition Spokesman on Education Damion Crawford, who used a parliamentary sitting this week to press for the change. Crawford pointed to an estimated 6,000 pregnancies among schoolgirls annually, many of which derail their schooling. Citing a World Bank study on school dropouts, he said 49 per cent of girls who left school in 2017 did so 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.

In an interview with THE STAR, Gordon-Harrison acknowledged that some teenage pregnancies stem from relationships between peers, but said a notable share involve much 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 stirred fresh debate over whether a higher legal threshold would better shield minors or simply criminalise conduct already common among adolescents. Gordon-Harrison also flagged births where the father's name is missing from the record, calling these a marker of unstable and often unsuitable unions.

"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 raised the matter in Parliament, said the age of consent should match 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

She was firm, however, that any legislative shift must not turn close-in-age teen partners into criminals.

"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, the Children's Advocate made plain that she does not endorse sexual activity among minors at all.

"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 a higher age threshold would also signal to predatory older men that young girls are out of bounds.

"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."

Even so, she warned that legislation by itself will not fix the problem, citing weak enforcement and deep-seated cultural habits.

"We have the legislative framework in place, but there are challenges with enforcement," she said, noting that some communities treat inappropriate relationships as ordinary.

"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 real progress will demand ongoing public education, particularly on bodily autonomy, consent and open 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 pointed to the role of parents and teachers, noting that schools are often where the earliest red flags appear.

"Parent education goes a very far way, and educators have a front-row seat to identify when something seems off," she said.