Many problems have emerged with statutory rape laws. Although the laws are in place to help people, many people consider them to be unfair and believe that there are changes that could be made to help improve these laws. One of the biggest problems with statutory rape laws is that each state has a different law. To help improve statutory rape laws, all states should work together to have a nationwide set of laws, so that all states have the same laws. With some minor improvements, statutory rape laws would be free from problems. Statutory rape laws in the United States are in place to protect teenagers from rape. The dictionary definition of statutory rape is “sexual intercourse with a minor.” The difference between rape and statutory rape is that rape is an adult sexually abusing an adult, and statutory rape is an adult sexually abusing a minor. Statutory rape can occur when an adult and a minor have sexual intercourse, even if it is voluntary on both sides. (North Carolina General Assembly) Every state has an age of consent, which is the age at which a person can legally consent to sexual intercourse. There is also an age difference, which is the number of years the victim and perpetrator can spend separated. In most states, statutory rape is defined as a “sexual offense against a person 13, 14, or 15 years of age.” (“Current Status Summary”) In North Carolina rape laws, laws addressing statutory rape are referred to as “Rape of a Child; adult delinquent". This crime is considered a class B1 felony. This crime does not cover sexual acts, such as sexual contact or oral sex. The law covering statutory rape for sexual acts is a first-degree sex crime. (North Carolin...... middle of paper ...... al Abuse 22.7 (2013): 00000 858-877. Academic search completed. Web. November 12, 2013. Roth, Norah M. "It's Not Rape - Rape: Legal Classification of Rape under the Armed Career Criminal Law 00000." St. John's Law Review 85.4 (2011): 1653-1680. Academic search completed. 00000 Web. November 13, 2013. Sahl, Daniel, and Jennifer Reid Keene. “The Effects of Age, Authority, and Gender on the Perception of 00000 Legal Rape Perpetrators.” 2012): 3701-3722. 00000 Academic Search completed. Web. Nov. 12, 2013. “Rape Statutory Provisions Violated Federal Constitutional Rights of Minors.” Child Law Practice 30.6 00000 (2011): 82-83. Completed academic research Read." Statutory Rape: A Guide to State Laws and Reporting Requirements 00000: U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources Services and Web 01 Nov. 2013.