The current BBC pictures issue got me thinking about the age of consent or when adulthood is legally attained. Theres a good thread discussing the BBC and I don't want this to drag along the same lines however. It's illegal to have explicit images from someone under 18 but at 16 you can get married and it's the legal age of consent. In the UK there appears to be a smattering of ages where people are considered as adults, legally responsible or allowed to do things. There's pressure afoot from certain political parties for the voting age to drop to 16 for example yet at least one of these parties also wants to raise the age of criminal responsibiliy to 21 whilst allowing 18 year olds to fight in the services. For me, if someone is mature enough to decide how the country is run and how laws are written, they should understand and be subject to criminal responsibility. I don't think this is a question that can solely be considered focussing on politics however, hence open to the general populus in here rather than in the politics section. For me I think we need to come to a concencus on an age where one becomes and is considred an adult for everything. I know people mature at different rates but that isn't something that can sensibly be catered for in legislation. As a young Meisterling I still didn't feel an adult at 18, in some respects I'm not sure I'm one yet but I feel kids these days with instant information access seem to grow up so much faster. So do you feel that there should be an age where a citizen is considered an adult? If so what age, if not why not? Genuine question as I have a genuine interest in this. I'm going for 18 but those with kids may have a better or more informed take on it.
More to the point, when should adulthood be taken away? I'm going for 60. Means @The undeniable truth can do pretty much what he likes without consequence.
This too is an interesting topic. I have bitter recent experience dealing with those that have diminishing faculties due to age related illness. Personally I think that should be more assessment based. Certainly those in their 70s should have some sort of driving capability evaluation. (some of course need that much much earlier)
100% agree on some kind driving evaluation once you reach a certain age. Which should be monitored every year. I remember being 18 and not wanting responsibility on numerous things. But imo it's all down to the said individual.
I'd enforce across everything, including things like airlines, buses, theme parks etc. too. Always annoyed me when I was 14 and was having to pay an adult ticket to places like Thorpe park despite being at school and not legally allowed to earn money.
The law uses notions such as comparison to what could be expected of a reasonably competent 18 year old as a proxy. Obviously there will be those who develop faster or slower but a line has to be drawn I feel or it gets too complicated. We dont want to extend childhood past 18 but can acknowledge that people are still developing whether that be at 21 or 25 or even 30. In terms of relationships a 60 year old and an 18 year old feels like the 18 year old is vulnerable. 60 and 21 it still feels like the 21 year old could have been taken advantage of. 60 and 25 still feels a little suspect id suggest 60 and 30 id say at 30 that 30 year old is fully capacitous all things being equal.
I also feel 16 is too young to get married. It's a huge decision to make. I dont think we can stop people having families at that stage but believe the state needs to ensure that there is adequate support and consent at that age for such an undertaking if the community or family around them cant provide that
I'm not referring to sex, rather to what might loosely (and in a veru un-PC manner) be called 'gold digging'.
Conversely I'm annoyed that a 14 year old gets a discount when they take up the same or even more space and resources as an adult. Why should they get a discount? Why should a single adult get penalised for simply being older?
It’s an interesting question. I particularly find it strange how young you can change genders. I have no major issue with the surgery itself but the amount of 15 year olds granted that power yet can’t buy cigarettes or alcohol is rather contradictory.
That went in England & Wales last year. It's 18 now: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/legal-age-of-marriage-in-england-and-wales-rises-to-18
I'm definitely still too immature to be considered an adult and I'm in my 40s, married with 2 children and a mortgage.
I totally agree with you and you are almost acting like an adult in admitting as much. It will not be to long before you grow up.
I think variable age restrictions work quite well so I would leave it as is. I think 18 is a good age to define as adult but certain things should be available to younger people (like being able to drive at 17) where society agrees it is sensible.
Some things are connected though. Taking your example, if someone is old enough to drive at 17 they should be old enough to understand the consequences of breaking driving related laws. Reckless or dangerous driving for example and as such should be treated for this as per an adult. The age of criminal responsibility is 10 but people are not considered adult under the law until 18 and still treated differently to other criminals until 25. Age of criminal responsibility - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) For me, just considering driving, the 17-18 age (16 if with a disability) where you're considered adult enough to drive but not adult enough to understand and hence suffer the consequences of actions, seems a bit confused, which is why I think a set adult age for everything might be more sensible.
I think your overall view on it will stem from what life was like for the individual growing up. Being an 1980's "Boomer" a lot of things have changed since then, fashion and haircuts being the least offensive. Becoming an adult has two stages. physically and mentally. A person can become the age of 18-21 (which is considered an adult under almost all banners), but they, perhaps through no fault of their own, be it a psychological disoreder, may have the outset mind of a child. These are two very different things and can produce very different varients of the "adult" that person will become. If we are talking purely in the common person sense, then I think 21 should be the new dawn. I have seen, know a lot of late teenagers from 18-20 who show absolutely no responsibility for other people, the work they do or themselves. Sure, this is just a percentage of the population, but it's still a chunk of the people who have supposed to have 'come of age' and act like kinder garden pupils. Drinking, Smoking should be 18, yes I agree that is correct. Marrige was recently updated from 16 to 18 (thank god), and personally I see no need to raise that any higher, although the vast majority of couples tend to get married in their mid to late twenties. Another side of the coin is the legal side of it. When you turn 18 your are considered (in the eyes of the law) a legal adult and hence are handed an adult prison sentence if you commit a serious crime. Raising that would mean a lot of offenders under the age of whatever it was raised to, would get a much lighter sentence which of course can cause issues for families of the victim. How people perceive a person is down to attitude and personality. People say "age is just a number" but until you reach adulthood where there are no youthful barriers in your way (allowed to smoke, drive a car etc), age is very important and much more than 'just a number'.
