NORTH AMERICA—
What Is NAMBLA?
Founded in 1978, the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) became known for advocating changes to age-of-consent laws and defending sexual relationships between adults and minors.
Child-protection advocates strongly opposed these views because adults hold greater power, authority, and influence than children.
Why Age-of-Consent Laws Matter
Age-of-consent laws help protect children from sexual exploitation.
Children do not have the same maturity or ability as adults to navigate sexual relationships.
Adults are responsible for setting appropriate boundaries.
Grooming, manipulation,
coercion, and exploitation can cause lasting harm.
A child’s apparent compliance never removes an adult’s responsibility.
Child safety must never be subordinated to an adult’s desire, ideology, or justification.
Protecting Children
Requires Action
Public discussion of groups that have advocated weakening protections for minors can help communities understand the importance of strong safeguards.
Prevention also requires
practical action:
Recognizing warning signs, responding appropriately to disclosures, reporting suspected abuse, and connecting survivors and families with support.
Every child deserves to grow up free from sexual abuse, grooming, coercion, and exploitation.
Our message is simple:
Children are not responsible for adult behavior.
Adults are responsible for
protecting children.
