Taboo's, Ethical Wrongdoings, and Judged Subcultures

The term "sex offense" actually covers a broad spectrum of practices and behavoirs, from consentual multi-partner unions such as in the case of polygamy and bigamy to seriously deviant acts such as sexual assault, incest and molestation of a child.

All states have clear and detailed laws regarding any sexual acts that involve a minor child, regardless of whether the act was committed between family members (incest) or an unrelated third-party. Regardless of where you live, these offenses are treated as criminal acts and are punishable by prison and fines.

If the molestation or sexual exploitation is committed by a family member, then charges of incest could be added to the charge of sexual assualt of a child.

Sexual assult can also be committed against adults and can even be committed against a spouse. If a weapon is used, the charge can be upgraded to aggravated sexual assault. Other illegal and taboo offenses include public sexual indecency, indecent exposure and lewd and lacivious acts.

At the other end of the spectrum however, the laws become much more diluted. While the United States has passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to define a legal marriage as a union between one man and one woman, there are many instances where an alternative interpretation of marriage is being openly practiced.

Same-sex marriages for example are slowly gaining support in several states, some even providing laws to grant same-sex couples rights and benefits traditionally given only to heterosexual marriages.

Polygamy is also gaining public attention as certain fundamentalist religious groups take their cause to court in an attempt to mesh their beliefs with mainstream society.

These types of "offenses" are essentially subjectively prohibited practices that result in a loss of benefits and rights that would normally be given to married couples.