In general, there are no laws that say when a young person can start dating another person (but there are laws about doing sexual activity with another person, which we explain below).
However, there are laws that make it illegal for people (especially adults) to communicate with a young person who is under 16 years old so that they can sexually abuse that young person, or show a young person who is under 16 sexual material (like a film or a picture).
If you are worried about a relationship with an adult (including an online relationship), or communications you are receiving, please contact us for free and confidential advice.
The law says that sexual intercourse includes any penetration of a person’s genitalia or anus by any part of the body of another person or any object, or any kind of oral sex.
A sexual act can include many different types of activities, such as:
Consent is required for any sexual act, not just those involving penetration.
There are also special laws that apply to recording a sexual activity with another person or sending or receiving sexual pictures or videos. For more information about these laws please see our pages on sexting and image-based abuse.
“Consent” means free and voluntary agreement. It is useful to think of consent as an enthusiastic yes! It is never okay for someone to assume you have given consent or to force you to keep going if you want to stop. You can also change your mind or withdraw your consent at any time.
Consent is really important, and we recommend you check out our page on consent if you are thinking of having sex or doing something sexual with another person.
The age of consent is the age at which the law says a person can agree to sexual activity. If you are under the age of consent, the law says that you cannot legally agree to sexual activity, and any person who does something sexual with you has broken the law.
In Western Australia, the age of consent is 16. If you are 16 years old and above, you can legally have sex (or do another sexual activity) with another person who is 16 years or older as long as you both agree to it. However, even if you are above the age of consent, it is a crime for someone who is caring for you or supervising you (like a teacher, youth worker, foster carer, step parent, religious leader, etc) to have sex with you while you are under 18. It is also a crime for a person to have sexual intercourse with a close family member, including a parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild – even if there is consent.
In Western Australia, consent to a sexual activity with a person who is under 16 can be defence to sexual crimes if the person who had sex with the under 16 year old believed on reasonable grounds that the person was 16 or over AND the person was not more than 3 years older. For example, if Anna is 15 years of age and agrees to have sex with Tom who is 17 years age, and Tom had good reason to believe that Anna was 16 years of age, then Tom would not be guilty of the crime of having sex with a person under 16 because he can rely on this legal defence.
However, a child under the age of 13 can NEVER consent to sexual activity.
If you are 25 or under and you have any questions about these laws, please contact us for free and confidential legal advice here.
If someone has done something sexual without your permission or that has made you feel uncomfortable, this may be sexual abuse. This is NEVER okay. For more information about sexual abuse take a look at this page.
You can contact us for free and confidential legal advice here.
If someone is found guilty of breaking the laws around sex and consent, they may be convicted of a criminal offence. Sexual offences can carry serious penalties, and a person who has been convicted of a sexual offence against a child may be placed on the Sex Offender’s Register in Western Australia.
If you think you might have broken these laws, or you are worried about the police contacting you, you can contact us for free and confidential legal advice. If you think someone else might have broken these laws and them doing so has affected you, please also contact us.
Deciding to start a sexual relationship with someone, or have sex with them, is a big step. It’s important to make sure you feel ready. It’s normal to feel nervous and excited, and it can be helpful to talk to someone about how you are feeling before you decide.
If you feel pressured to do something sexual, or if you’re not sure if you want to, you can say NO. And if you say yes and then decide you no longer want to do something, you can stop at any time. The other person must respect your choice. If they do something sexual with you without your agreement, they may be committing a serious crime.
If you are thinking about having sex, please be aware of the risks that are involved with unsafe or unprotected sex. These risks include:
For information about how you can protect yourself from the risks of unsafe sex, you can see your GP or visit one of these websites:
You can contact us here for free and confidential legal advice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You can also contact the services listed below to talk about anything relating to sex including safe sex, what is considered normal in a relationship, or if you are worried you might be pregnant. They are not the police or a government department, and you do not have to give them your name and details if you don’t want to.
You can call the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 for free and private counselling (available 24 hours a day, but there can be a wait to get through). They are happy to talk to young people between the ages of 5-25 years about anything that’s on their mind. You can also email them or chat online at: http://kidshelpline.com.au.
Sexual Health Quarters also offers a range of clinical services including testing and treatment of STIs, contraception information and supply, unintended pregnancy, and cervical screening in Western Australia as well as a professional counselling service specialising in relationships and sexual health issues. You can call their sexual health helpline on 1800 198 205 or visit their clinic in Perth.
1800RESPECT provides free counselling, information and support for people who have experienced sexual assault or domestic and family violence. You can call them on 1800 737 732, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you have a problem or a question, you can send it to us today and we can provide you with free advice, information and referrals to help solve your problem. Just click on the button below.
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