Ted Hoffman

In this thread, <a href="http://iidb.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=52&t=000287&p=" target="_blank">Child pornography thread</a> luvluv asked: "Why shouldn't children be exploited?

Moderators wielded their sticks and made subtle threats - and their concerns were valid.
I would like to collect answers to luvluv's question here.

[edited to add "sexually" - for Amen Moses' benefit]

[ September 02, 2002: Message edited by: Intensity ]</p>

Amen-Moses

They are exploited, maybe not as much as the typical adult but definitely exploited.

Or is there a particular form of exploitation inherent in the question?

Amen-Moses

MrDarwin

Please define "children" and "child".

Ted Hoffman

The legal definition would do - i.e. one below the age of consent.
We can also define child as "A young person of either sex. esp. one between infancy and youth; hence, one who exhibits the characteristics of a very young person, as innocence, obedience, trustfulness, limited understanding, etc." from dictionary.com.

children is plural of child.

Infinity Lover

Why should anyone be (sexually) exploited?

There's that fine thread between making use of, and taking disadvantage of.

Ted Hoffman

Exploitation here means "to make use of selfishly or unethically"
My question is, why is it wrong(ethically and morally) to sexually exploit children.

Infinity Lover

Emotional damage to state the bloody obvious.

Perhaps it would be better to ask how it could possibly NOT be wrong to sexually exploit children.

(though the posting of serious answers to that one would kinda freak me out. It's not exactly the kind of behaviour one likes to see justified.)

MrDarwin

Consent to have sex with another person of the same age? Consent to have sex with a person of any age? Consent to have sex with a member of the opposite sex? Consent to have sex with a member of the same sex?

In what state? In what country?

The laws vary widely from state to state, and from country to country, with respect to the right to have sex, the right to marry, the right to vote, the right to drink, etc. The transition from childhood to adulthood is one that we have considerable trouble with, both socially and legally.

raistlinjones

Umm...ok. So lets use your definition, and ask the question again: Why is it wrong to sexually make us of selfishly or unethically a child? Isn't it pretty obvious? BECAUSE IT'S UNETHICAL! I mean, if you're going to use the word "unethical" in your definition of an action, you pretty much already have said it's not a good thing to do.

Your problem is that you're assuming too much in asking the question. You're using weighted words. If you want a discussion on why it is wrong to take nude photographs of a child, or why it is wrong to have sex with a child, or to photograph someone else having sex with a child, we could work with that. But to ask the question in the way that you do is like asking why it's wrong to do morally bad things.

echidna

For fuck’s sake, if you need a reason not to sexually exploit children, then you need to take a long hard look at yourself.

a) Because God says so
b) Because P1, P2, P3 ….
c) Because I fucking say so

There’s a hidden malevolence in these topics which degrades the boards, either deliberately or otherwise.

These issues can just as easily be discussed using other concepts and abstractions. You can discuss the technicalities over age-of-consent to your heart’s delight but these topics are not intended for discussion, they are intended for shock value.