Connecticut’s current age of sexual consent is 16 — one of the lowest thresholds in the Northeast. This outdated standard exposes 16- and 17-year-olds to exploitation by adults and creates legal loopholes that predators can exploit.

We, the undersigned, urge the Connecticut General Assembly to raise the age of consent to 18, while maintaining minors’ confidential access to health care.

Why This Change Is Needed

1. Teenagers Are Still Vulnerable

Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds are still developing emotionally and psychologically. Studies and state child advocates have shown that older partners often manipulate younger teens, especially when power differences exist, such as teachers, coaches, or guardians.

2. Real Cases in Connecticut Show the Danger

2024: Connecticut news outlets reported a series of sexual assault arrests involving minors, including adult men charged with assaulting 14–17-year-old girls.
2023: The Office of the Child Advocate found systemic failures in child protection cases where teens were sexually exploited and authorities failed to respond promptly.
2022–2023: The CT Uniform Crime Report showed a rise in reported sexual assaults, including among teenage victims — a trend demanding stronger laws.
(Sources: CT Office of the Child Advocate; CT Uniform Crime Report; WTNH, CT Insider, and Patch reporting, 2023–2024.)

3. Connecticut Lags Behind Neighboring States

Massachusetts and New York set the age of consent at 17.
Florida, California, and New Jersey all set it at 18.
Raising Connecticut’s standard aligns with modern norms for protecting youth from predatory behavior.

4. Loopholes Allow Exploitation

Currently, a 30-year-old can legally engage in sexual activity with a 16-year-old if no position of authority exists. This leaves room for grooming, coercion, and emotional manipulation that may not meet the narrow legal definitions of abuse.

Proposed Reform

Raise the general age of consent to 18.
Create a close-in-age exception (for example, a 2–3 year difference between minors, such as 17 and 19).

Ban sexual contact by authority figures — teachers, coaches, guardians — with anyone under 18.
Preserve minors’ health rights: Ensure teens still have confidential access to reproductive and sexual health care.

Benefits of Raising the Age

✅ Protects vulnerable teens from exploitation by adults

✅ Gives prosecutors and child advocates stronger legal tools

✅ Promotes safer, age-appropriate relationships

✅ Aligns Connecticut with best practices across the U.S.

✅ Strengthens public trust in schools, youth programs, and state agencies

We call on the Connecticut General Assembly and Governor to take action in 2025 to protect our youth and modernize the state’s laws.

📣 Sign the Petition

🖋 Contact your local representative

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Together, we can make Connecticut safer for every teen.