Sex Laws Research
Sexual laws are put in place to prevent sexual misconduct cases in the states of America. These legislations are drafted to curb possible illegal sexual acts based on forced, involuntary or provoked sexual activity. The state of California defines sexual harassment as behaviour that is either pervasive or severe in a way that it creates an abusive working environment. Sexual harassment in this state is also based on actions that are recurring over time. The following paper will touch on some illegal sexual behaviours, the corresponding laws against them and legal cases for each according to the California state law.
The two illegal sexual actions that I chose are child sexual abuse and statutory rape. Child sexual abuse is when an adult or a person of age uses a child or an adolescent for their sexual satisfaction (Connolly et al., 2017). Child sexual abuse is also known as child molestation. Statutory rape, according to the law, is sexual involvement with a minor or someone who has not achieved the age of consent. The two tend to have similar orientations. Child sexual abuse, however, differs from the counterpart in that the sexual activities are not entirely limited to sexual intercourse. Any sexual misconduct with a child is categorized under child sexual abuse.
The law against child sexual abuse is in penal code11164, et seq., Assembly Bill No. 1179, Chapter 127 and states that sexual abuse or interactions as listed by the incident in 11165.1 are any forms of cruelty, willful, neglect, unjust punishment or physical injury not caused by accidental means. Statutory rape, on the other hand, falls under the penal code 261.5PC and is highlighted as a sexual crime where one engages in sexual intercourse with a minor (under the age of eighteen) regardless whether the action was consensual or propagated by the minor (Beck & Boys 2019). In worse case scenarios, prosecutors refer to such a case as a felony or misdemeanour.
According to recent legal developments, the State of California increased the time for filing child sexual misconduct cases. In other words, children that are victims of sexual abuse will have more time to report and file cases against these unfit criminals according to a law drafted in 2019. The law was amended to give more time for victims to come out and tell their story. The state of California laws requires that infiltrators of statutory rape register themselves as sex offenders even after serving their time in prison or incurring the respective fines. It is a requirement for them to identify themselves as sex offenders according to a law legally passed sometimes back.
With response to a viable sexual health-related bill, approving the bill that involves youth access to sexual health services can be helpful. The bill act of 2019 suggests that youth and of the young members of the society should be offered with the freedom to access sexual health services with zero or minimal cost. The law, if drafted, will help many young people suffering from sexually-oriented diseases and giving them a brighter and more productive future.
Conclusion
California State is considered one of the most cautious states when it came to sexual misconduct offenders. Sexual crimes are taken extremely serious by prosecutors and judges in this particular locality. The presentation highlights some of the laws and policies put in place to curb sexual misconduct in the state and the country at large.
References
Beck, V. S., & Boys, S. K. (2019). Statutory Rape Laws. The Encyclopedia of Women and Crime, 1-6.
Connolly, D. A., Coburn, P. I., & Chong, K. (2017). Twenty-six years prosecuting historic child sexual abuse cases: Has anything changed?. Psychology, public policy, and law, 23(2), 166.