Content Warning: Accusations of pedophilia

I (senior) am in high school. We have a little friend group filled with people from different school years. This one boy we have in our friend group, Benji (freshman) we sophomores, seniors and juniors treat like a little brother, and he has a girlfriend Sara (eighth grade).

This one girl, Louise (freshman) repeatedly calls him a pedophile and thinks he should not be dating her. It’s not like they’re having sex and it’s only a year apart. Besides, my girlfriend is a sophomore and I’m a senior and neither of us are having sex either. I think it’s alright.

  • ultranaut@lemmy.worldEnglish
    13·
    4 months ago

    Definitely an asshole. If they are both only a year apart it is impossible for it to be pedophile and throwing around false accusations like that is slanderous. I suggest getting a responsible adult involved before that kid has his reputation destroyed by this girl spreading these rumors that he is involved in pedophilia. Even though they are obviously false claims that doesn’t mean this can’t still cause him real harms.

  • BussyGyatt@feddit.orgEnglish
    10·
    4 months ago

    I understand why one might be upset, but what actual or potential harm has she articulated? If she can’t explain why it is harmful, then its just societal conditioning. If there’s some sort of abuse involved, then yeah that’s something that needs to be called out. To answer your question directly, no I dont think a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old holding hands is abusive. It still wouldn’t be abuse (assuming mutual consent) if they were having sex.

    Also, philosophically speaking, is a child being attracted to another child pedophilia? Why, or why not?

  • IWW4@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    She is the asshole.

    There is a big difference between a 9th grader and an 8th grader but that is nothing compared to the age difference of a senior and a 9th grader.