@kmax87 said

Colorado historian Nicholas Syrett's new book "American Child Bride" is filled with anecdotes about very young women--one as young as 9--marrying much older men.......

For most of American history there was no distinction between the marriage of two minors or that between one party who was older (sometimes considerably so) and one who was younger.

when country star Loretta Lynn published her autobiography, Coalminer’s Daughter, in 1976, the story of her marriage at thirteen was one of the book’s central episodes, as it was in the narrative of her life in country music. Indeed, in Lynn’s own words, her early marriage was part of what characterized her home, Butcher Holler, Kentucky, as being in “the most backward part of the United States.” The early marriage would also feature prominently in the subsequent 1980 film, for which Sissy Spacek won an Academy Award. By the late twentieth century many Americans perceived early marriage as being both uncommon and backward, something that might have happened long ago in the wilds of Appalachia, but surely not elsewhere in the United States. Lynn capitalized on her early marriage to appear as “country” as possible. The autobiography is written in a folksy, down-home dialect; it was how she marketed herself as genuine. In fact, it turns out that in talking about her marriage (in the autobiography and elsewhere), Lynn had misrepresented her age. Reporters for the Associated Press revealed in 2012 that Lynn had lied about the date of her marriage and thus her age at the time of that marriage: she had been fifteen, not thirteen. Contemporary readers may think the difference inconsequential (she was still plenty young, after all), and Lynn may well have lied in order to appear younger now (not then), necessitating a backdating of the marriage. The fact remains, however, that her early marriage was remarkable and in many people’s minds characteristic of a particular place: the poor and rural South. This was not inaccurate, but neither was it the whole story.

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Is it a considerable number of men?

I think it’s fair to say that a considerable number of men would like to have sex with 20 year olds. Some even, maybe, 17 or 18 year olds.
Any younger than that, I’m not sure we’re talking considerable numbers.

Yes. Teenage prostitution is a real problem.
However less than 15% of men have ever been to a prostitute of any age.

The vast majority of men do not walk around drooling over 15 year olds.
And in many Western countries (in Europe anyway), 15 year olds can walk down the street safely.

Do men turn and look if a fine figure in a short skirt (or something) is walking by? Yes.
And most men if they realise they’re looking at a kid, will straight away look away again. Nothing to see there.

Indeed, most men if they’re out and in a bar or at a party, and they realise that they’re flirting with someone who’s underage, will directly break off contact.

And as someone pointed out, there are teenage girls who want attention. Not sure if it’s middle-aged men they want attention from, but hey.
And it is for men to say: “yah... yer 16... go home and play with your barbies and stop drinking tequila.”

And most men, as I’ve said, leave that sort of “jail bait” well alone.

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@shavixmir said
Yeah. I know Lolita.
I also know Silence of the lambs.

Not many men go around making clothes out of human skin, either.

I am not saying there aren’t men who are attracted to young girls. I am not saying that there is no abuse of power, status, etc.

I am only questioning the numbers.

@torunn said
If a man knows the real age of the underage girl he tries to seduce, there is no excuse only explanations as to why he can't leave her alone. If she tries to encourage him in his attempt - which she may if she is flattered - he should still abstain.

@shavixmir said
Obviously.

@mchill said
"For too many girls, teenage years are a time of unwanted attention from older men"



- and for some girls, teenage years are a time of DESIRED attention from older men.

So, how do we solve this issue? I I suppose teen girls could carry signs saying "don't look at me!" so older men will avert their eyes at the proper moment or face legal jeopardy. Barring that, I don't have a solution for this one.