Like other persons assumed to be engaged in deviance, many of the teens reacted to the deviant label by denying that there was anything wrong with their behavior. Although some of them defined dating older men as deviant, it certainly was not a view shared by all of the teen mothers. In fact, the attitude among most members of the Teen Center was that dating older boyfriends was not deviant. In large measure, this may be because identifying the act as non-deviant makes their consent meaningful. If their consent makes the relationships acceptable, their judgment is valued and their moral independence is not questioned. On the other hand, calling the relationships deviant insults them by raising the issue of their ability to make decisions that affect their lives. An important characteristic of adolescence is the quest for autonomy-a desire to act like and be treated like adults. This goal may be particularly salient for teens who are trying to justify having children at early ages. The ability to give consent is crucial if one wants to be thought of as a mature adult, which can explain why so many teens, including those not involved with older men themselves, did not view the relationships as deviant.