... Age of consent laws are in place to protect children from the coercion and manipulation to which they are extremely vulnerable to.

No they were simply put in for completely puritanical reasons or raised would be a better term.

Regardless don't you feel age of consent laws are redundant? It is illegal to coerce or manipulate someone into sexual contact anyway, regardless of age. The age of consent is there to bar ALL contact. At least in its current form.

However, I do see what you are saying, an age of consent that means ability to consent without parental permission. If they are under the age of consent they are still allowed to consent, but with parental permission and knowledge. Which makes tons more sense than what we have now. I can agree with that.