What is Age of consent?
[[File:Age of consent - Global.svg|alt=|thumb|Age of consent for heterosexual sex in various countries {{legend|#FFA07A|puberty}} {{legend|#FEF592|12}} {{legend|#7FFFD4|13}} {{legend|#00CED1|14}} {{legend|#1E90FF|15}} {{legend|#0000CD|16}} {{legend|#808000|17}} {{legend|#32CD32|18}} {{legend|#006400|19}} {{legend|#EE82EE|20 (void at present)}} {{legend|#9400D3|21 (void at present)}} {{legend|#DAA520|varies by state/province/region/territory (void at present)}} {{legend|#FF1493|must be married}} {{legend|#808080|no law (void at present)}} {{legend|#D3D3D3|no data available / other}}]] The '''age of consent''' is the age at which a person can [[legal]]ly [[wikt:consent|consent]] to have [[sexual intercourse]].<ref name=ADVERT>{{cite web |url=http://www.avert.org/age-of-consent.htm |title=What is the Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse? |author=<!--Staff writer(s)--> |publisher=AVERT |access-date=2 February 2015 }}</ref> This is also the [[wikt:minimum|minimum]] age of the other person legally permitted to engage in sexual activity. Having sex with a person who is younger than the age of consent (but who agrees to have sex) is called [[statutory rape]]. The person below the minimum age is regarded as a [[victim]], and their sex partner as the [[wikt:offender|offender]]. Different countries have different laws regarding the age of consent. Some are as low as 12 or as high as 21.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/what-age-consent-around-world-2802173 |title=What is the age of consent around the world? From Angola at 12 to Bahrain at 21 |author=Jessica Best |date=17 November 2013 |publisher=Daily Mirror|access-date=8 February 2015}}</ref> Most countries have ages set between 14 and 16. But worldwide, the average age of consent is 16 years of age.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/433_457.htm#to_have_sex |title=The Convention on the Rights of the Child |author=<!--Staff writer(s)--> |publisher=UNICEF |access-date=2 February 2015 |archive-date=28 April 2019 |archive-url=https://