USUALLY the same thing happens when women date much younger men.
It’s about power, not about gender. People with a lot of experience and resources prey on people who have very little.
If someone is 60 and dating someone who is 30, that’s usually ok (a little weird in my opinion tho) cause someone who is 30 is fairly mature and can understand what’s going on, and usually has friends, a career, and a lot of stability in their lives.
If someone is 40 and dating someone that’s 20… it doesn’t matter what the gender mix is… the 20 year old is going to have a lot of trouble pushing back when things are wrong. The 20 year old isn’t emotionally, or FINANCIALLY able to break away as easily. It’s not misogynistic to say that a very young person (female or male) might end up in a situation they feel like they can’t leave.
I don’t agree that the younger have zero agency. Their youth is worth quite a bit. They can leave, find somone else, start over. Youth targets age almost as much as age targets youth. One side usually has more wealth, social standing and the other has more vitality. Both parties often find it is to their own personal benefit. To get rid of all the power imbalances that could happen in relationships, we’d have to have everyone date their equal in intelligence, wealth, social standing, occupation, looks or someone would always have the possibility to have the upper hand. Maybe what’s needed is giving children (under 18s) the knowledge to be able to push back against wrong situations.
I used to feel it was age that was the predator but I know quite a few people in recent years, male and female, who have been targeted for relationships with younger people simply because they are perceived to have more financial means.
I have barely saw that happening when the situation is older women with younger men, actually the men gets attacked in that situation too, and the women, infantilized in consequence.
USUALLY the same thing happens when women date much younger men.
It’s about power, not about gender. People with a lot of experience and resources prey on people who have very little.
If someone is 60 and dating someone who is 30, that’s usually ok (a little weird in my opinion tho) cause someone who is 30 is fairly mature and can understand what’s going on, and usually has friends, a career, and a lot of stability in their lives.
If someone is 40 and dating someone that’s 20… it doesn’t matter what the gender mix is… the 20 year old is going to have a lot of trouble pushing back when things are wrong. The 20 year old isn’t emotionally, or FINANCIALLY able to break away as easily. It’s not misogynistic to say that a very young person (female or male) might end up in a situation they feel like they can’t leave.
I don’t agree that the younger have zero agency. Their youth is worth quite a bit. They can leave, find somone else, start over. Youth targets age almost as much as age targets youth. One side usually has more wealth, social standing and the other has more vitality. Both parties often find it is to their own personal benefit. To get rid of all the power imbalances that could happen in relationships, we’d have to have everyone date their equal in intelligence, wealth, social standing, occupation, looks or someone would always have the possibility to have the upper hand. Maybe what’s needed is giving children (under 18s) the knowledge to be able to push back against wrong situations. I used to feel it was age that was the predator but I know quite a few people in recent years, male and female, who have been targeted for relationships with younger people simply because they are perceived to have more financial means.
I have barely saw that happening when the situation is older women with younger men, actually the men gets attacked in that situation too, and the women, infantilized in consequence.