Legality of incest

[Sandra]

Laws regarding incest (i.e. sexual activity between family members or close relatives) vary considerably between jurisdictions, and depend on the type of sexual activity and the nature of the family relationship of the parties involved, as well as the age and sex of the parties.
Besides legal prohibitions, at least some forms of incest are also socially taboo or frowned upon in most cultures around the world.

Incest laws may involve restrictions on marriage, which also vary between jurisdictions. When incest involves an adult and a child (under the age of consent) it is considered to be a form of child sexual abuse.

Countries that allow consensual incest if both are over the age of consent include Belarus, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, and Portugal.
Russia and Belarus also allow incest between teenagers (under 18).
Estonia, Latvia, and Ukraine prohibit incest if one has custody over the other.

[Friendlycock]

Laws regarding incest (i.e. sexual activity between family members or close relatives) vary considerably between jurisdictions, and depend on the type of sexual activity and the nature of the family relationship of the parties involved, as well as the age and sex of the parties.
Besides legal prohibitions, at least some forms of incest are also socially taboo or frowned upon in most cultures around the world.

Incest laws may involve restrictions on marriage, which also vary between jurisdictions. When incest involves an adult and a child (under the age of consent) it is considered to be a form of child sexual abuse.

Countries that allow consensual incest if both are over the age of consent include Belarus, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, and Portugal.
Russia and Belarus also allow incest between teenagers (under 18).
Estonia, Latvia, and Ukraine prohibit incest if one has custody over the other.

I've chatted, and still do, with at least three people, two women and a man, who grew up in the USA watching parents have sex, hen joining in, having regular intercourse with their parents and siblings. Usually nudist families who have been doing it for generations. One man just got his 14 year old girl pregnant, and had gotten his mum pregnant as a teen.
How does the law catch up with this, and what do people think? Should it be legal, given birth control and being taught responsible sexuality?
I was brought up very depressed sexually by my bachelor dad. How much should be allowed, to teach kids responsible approaches to intercourse?

[Friendlycock]

Expanding on the topic. Should a child be encouraged to masturbate and enjoy the new feelings in their body without feeling guilty?
Should the parents be openly sexual in front of their children, having intercourse and other sexual play without locking the children out of the room, to make sexual activity a normal, open part of life?
Should a teen when they're becoming sexually aware and feel desire and attraction to another, be given a safe place to have their love interest engage in sexual activity with them, in an open, supervised environment until they are trustworthy and their sexual activity is wholesome and they're allowed more freedom and privacy?
Should any sexual exploration be allowed between siblings, such as masturbating together. Should intercourse ever be considered ok between siblings or should it be discouraged, even with birth control and a safe space?
Should it ever be ok for a parent and their growing teen of consent age to engage in consensual intercourse? Would it ever be healthy practice to teach a teen about sex or is it actually exploitation even if there's full consent?
Should families encourage open sexuality with people who aren't related, in an open, accepting environment, given age appropriate sexual activity, teens with non related teens, adults with adults, all having intercourse openly together?

[Schorle]

I hope you don't mind me highjacking your questions and providing my own thoughts. They're my beliefs - and you're welcome to disagree with me, but you're unlikely change my mind!!

How does the law catch up with this, and what do people think?
I'm a firm believer in what happens behind closed doors, isn't forced and is loving, ought to be no concern of society. The trouble is that, as Sandra says, the law doesn't allow anyone under the age of consent to give consent, no matter what the circumstances, no matter the mental or physical maturity of the person. 
My question - Should the law change to allow consent?
That's a different question. The law has to care for everyone and we all mature at different rates. For me, I'd rather it be left entirely up to the person involved. It's her body and her choice, but the counter-argument I've heard is that at younger ages, you don't understand the consequences or your own mind. Respectfully, I disagree!

Should it be legal, given birth control and being taught responsible sexuality?
Definitely. 100% agree.  Who better than family to teach about everything to do with love?

Should a child be encouraged to masturbate and enjoy the new feelings in their body without feeling guilty? Yes, and luckily I was never made to feel guilty of my own feelings when masturbating.

Should the parents be openly sexual in front of their children, having intercourse and other sexual play without locking the children out of the room, to make sexual activity a normal, open part of life?
I loved seeing Mum with my step-dad.  I was lucky that it wasn't hidden away, doors were open. It wasn't thrust in front of me, but it was there if I were interested.

Should a teen when they're becoming sexually aware and feel desire and attraction to another, be given a safe place to have their love interest engage in sexual activity with them, in an open, supervised environment until they are trustworthy and their sexual activity is wholesome and they're allowed more freedom and privacy? Yes, better in a safe place than forced to hide away where it might be less safe.

Should any sexual exploration be allowed between siblings, such as masturbating together. Should intercourse ever be considered ok between siblings or should it be discouraged, even with birth control and a safe space?
my feeling is that whether it's siblings or other family members, such as parents or grandparents, if it's loving and willing, there shouldn't be any restrictions.

Should it ever be ok for a parent and their growing teen of consent age to engage in consensual intercourse? You know I'm going to say, without doubt!

Would it ever be healthy practice to teach a teen about sex or is it actually exploitation even if there's full consent?
Back to what I said earlier about the counter-argument, it's other people saying that it can't be consent, it must be exploitation. It's actually insulting, and whilst I get that society might feel it's trying to be helpful, all it's just doing is taking things which are really beautiful and suggesting that they're sordid.

Should families encourage open sexuality with people who aren't related, in an open, accepting environment, given age appropriate sexual activity, teens with non related teens, adults with adults, all having intercourse openly together?
I did and I've always been grateful for the support and love of my family.

[ShyOttawaGuy]

I was never part of an open sexual family. I have thought about it many times and wished I had been at times.

In my teen years and to some extent even today I have desires to be with a few of my cousins sexually. I think if we had been able to explore together during our teen years we would have grown a lot closer.

I feel that learning about sex and your own sexuality in an open and loving family would be best for all. Would help a lot of people during their awkward stage as a teen to learn from family that wouldn't judge.

[Friendlycock]

I hope you don't mind me highjacking your questions and providing my own thoughts. They're my beliefs - and you're welcome to disagree with me, but you're unlikely change my mind!!

Quite the contrary. This is the response I was hoping for, and I hope for many more. I agree completely. The law is somewhat of an ass wielding a sledgehammer. The two instances of family incest, where I've chatted with the girl invollved, they are very keen to continue and see the sex play as family bonding. In some instances the father is caring and supportive, but another sounds like a predatory user, taking on his girls way too young. There we have a problem. Ironically, the moral boundaries of the child are being established and they know nothing different , and are keen to do it. Human males will sometimes be users, but the girl still seems to gladly do it.

[Schorle]

another sounds like a predatory user, taking on his girls way too young. There we have a problem. Ironically, the moral boundaries of the child are being established and they know nothing different , and are keen to do it. Human males will sometimes be users, but the girl still seems to gladly do it.

I don't know how young you're talking about, but lots of things seem wrong from outside. If it's loving and fun, there's no reason why the girls can't get pleasure and enjoy it. The difficulty is that you'd need to be a part of that family to know for sure. In the absence of that, I understand the nervousness of some people when they hear about young family love. For my part, I wish I'd started younger than I did, but I'm grateful I started at all!

[Friendlycock]

I don't know how young you're talking about, but lots of things seem wrong from outside. If it's loving and fun, there's no reason why the girls can't get pleasure and enjoy it. The difficulty is that you'd need to be a part of that family to know for sure. In the absence of that, I understand the nervousness of some people when they hear about young family love. For metc. y part, I wish I'd started younger than I did, but I'm grateful I started at all!

I was referring to one instance where a father started having sex with his daughter at about 12, as soon as she was menstruating and the parents educated her on her cycles, etc.
This girl is 19 and has recreational intercourse with the 4 farm hands on her property. At least she's been taught responsibility and when she's fertile, etc. One other I chat with I think shows predatory behaviour in that he regularly has sex with his 14 year old and got her pregnant, and is touching up his pre pubescent daughter who is little more than 7 or 8. Hence the questions I put. What is acceptable healthy sex education and what is predatory behaviour and where's the dividing line.

[Friendlycock]

I don't know how young you're talking about, but lots of things seem wrong from outside. If it's loving and fun, there's no reason why the girls can't get pleasure and enjoy it. The difficulty is that you'd need to be a part of that family to know for sure. In the absence of that, I understand the nervousness of some people when they hear about young family love. For my part, I wish I'd started younger than I did, but I'm grateful I started at all!

One ps. The girls all enjoy it, no hint of being forced. The 7 year old sucks her father's dick, but she's grown up openly sexual. The other extreme is, children growing up confused from being told, naughty, don't touch. Don't do that. I grew up afraid of girls because of my father's problem with mum running off with a guy when I was three. Girls hurt you, is the message I grew up with loud and clear. I wish my upbringing were different