One day after school recently, I happily plopped down 
on my couch to watch a rerun of one of my favorite 
shows, Roseanne. It was the episode where Roseanne 
finds out that her 17 year-old daughter Becky is 
dating a guy named Mark, who is 21.
Roseanne and her husband forbid Becky to see Mark. But 
in later episodes, they decide that it’s ok for the 
two to date, even though Mark is so much older. That 
episode first aired around the early nineties, and 
older guys dating much younger girls is more popular 
now than ever before.
Did you know that if these kinds of relationships are 
sexual, it is considered statutory rape, even if both 
partners agree to it?
Nowadays, it seems that this type of relationship
doesn’t even faze parents. And it’s not just men who
prefer the younger generation, women want their men 
young and ripe for the picking, too.
So, the question on the table is, why is this 
older/younger relationship so popular? Let’s take a
look at the pros and cons of this type of relationship.
Dating someone older is cool. They have a job, a car, 
cool friends and they can get you into the best 
parties. They make you feel special. You get to hang
out with older people and experience new things.
This kind of relationship sounds pretty good, right?
But explore the downside before you make any decisions.
Did you ever stop and think about why someone who is 
so much older wants to go out with somebody younger? 
For example, when you graduate high school, do you 
want to be in a relationship where you have the same 
dating responsibilities as a high school student, like 
dances, proms and graduations?
Well, older guys may like to go out with younger girls 
because they can control them easier. Then the 
relationship isn’t equal.
And girls, think about this: According to an article
last year in the Boston Herald, approximately 80,000 
teen pregnancies nationwide were due to young girls 
dating guys at least three years older than themselves.
And that article continues: “Research shows that young 
girls involved with adult men are more likely to drop 
out of school, suffer from low self-esteem, become 
depressed, engage in criminal behavior and become 
addicted to drugs or alcohol. And, most sadly, when 
their psychological wounds do not heal, they are  
likely to allow their children to become victims of 
the same kind of abuse.” Sounds like fun, huh?
Bottom line: if you get into a relationship where your 
partner is older, realize that it’s illegal. Older 
people can take the heat if they introduce sex, alcohol
or drugs to minors. And that kind of relationship may 
not be as cool as you think.