A kiss is just a kiss?

Visiting friends the other day, their daughter, who's just 10 had an announcement to make - she's "in lurve". And she and her classmate are apparently spending all the free time together that parents will permit.

I don't recall anything like that when I was that age. Sure, there was a girl in class who I thought was the prettiest, but socially, it was boys doing boy things (bikes, chemistry - or "stinks", walkie-talkies, make-believe games that prototyped RPGs), and girls were, well girly and soppy, and we had nothing to do with them. I don't think it's just me being middle-aged and cynical, but hasn't the world gotten too sexualised over the last 25 or so years. Can't the youngsters have time for being children any more, without going almost from nappies into the dating/mating game?

Now it seems that the young lass in question may soon have something more to worry about on that score - in its new Sexual Offences Bill, the Govt. is proposing to make completely clear what the age of consent means - under-age kissing (under-age being <16 in the UK) will be illegal. Not just intercourse, or even just "heavy petting" or serious snogging.

From the Gorblimey to the rediculous in one easy move!