What's so magical about age 18?

[Alex Franke]

I was watching a news story about that student who killed her baby -- I'm not defending that at all, by the way. One person said, "She clearly doesn't have the maturity to know better" (or something like that) and the host of the show said something like, "She's 18. She's a legal adult. She should know better."

So what's so magical about age 18? Why do we (especially the legal system) assume that someone who is 17 years 364 days old is "just a kid" -- assumed immature and irresponsible, and someone a day older is "an adult" -- assumed to be mature and responsible? I've met "adults" in their 20's who are more kid-like (intellectually/emotionally) than "kids" in their teens.

I know that some kids are tried as adults for very serious crimes, but it really seems to me that in most cases (maybe even including selective service and voting) people's competency, maturity, responsibility, etc, should be judged by some other standard than simply the amount of time that has passed since their birth...

...and if it's that you "have to draw the line somewhere," why not draw that line within the results of an objective evaluation. If you get less that 80% on the You Should Have Known Better test, then you really should have known better -- no matter how old you are.

[LinuxRandal]

Maturity has nothing to do with age. Age is a point of reference, that varies for different legal things. It's a basis for when you are both biologically capable, and society deemed the average time that you should be both mentally and emotionally capable of a set of behaviors.

It isn't fixed everywhere, as proven by different states ages of consent, right to marry, right to drop out of school, drinking ages (used to vary more state by state), and age ones records can be expunged, and they can be tried as adults.

Cutting down a long story
A friend of mine had her 18th birthday on 9-11-2001 (a big party was scrubbed, do to the events that day, and she never has really got to celebrate since). She is more mature then her mother, and "aunt" (great aunt) who used to "sit" her (in reality, it was more the other way around). However, if maturity tests were given, there is a strong possibility that Eugenics would also be used, and she wouldn't exist. Truely a detriment to society.

There is no perfect method.



On a side note, I tried to enlist when I was 18 but am considered medically ineligible. But I was told, I would go to jail, if I didn't sign up for the draft, of which, they wouldn't take me.
Logic and law don't always coinside.

[eezlock]

18 years old?

Truth is, most 18 year old "kids" are still "wet behind the ears" so to speak.
They really don't have any idea of what life is all about or what is expected of them at that point in time and from there on out. Most haven't been subjected to enough of life to even make any intelligent decisions concerning
things that will and could adversely affect them for years down the road.

I for one, think that the age of 21 or 25 should be the age to be considered
as a "legal adult" in our society today. A lot of these "kids" get out own their own...somewhere between 18 and 21 and after a couple of years...find out that life on their own is too tough to handle by themselves, and the first thing that most do is coming running back to mommy and daddy to help them out and bail them out of their situation. The bad part is, they leave alone (usually) but later come back "home" and they bring more with them! I'm tired of hearing some parents say this
remark about their returning/ wandering children...."they are still trying to find themselves." What? ...duh?
What the h### does that stupid remark mean anyhow? How the heck do you find something that you can't ever lose?
( yourself) come on let's get real here....
Wrong answer here. My thoughts/perspective on this problem anyway.
eezlock

[eezlock]

18 years old?

Truth is, most 18 year old "kids" are still "wet behind the ears" so to speak.
They really don't have any idea of what life is all about or what is expected of them at that point in time and from there on out. Most haven't been subjected to enough of life to even make any intelligent decisions concerning
things that will and could adversely affect them for years down the road.

I for one, think that the age of 21 or 25 should be the age to be considered
as a "legal adult" in our society today. A lot of these "kids" get out own their own...somewhere between 18 and 21 and after a couple of years...find out that life on their own is too tough to handle by themselves, and the first thing that most do is coming running back to mommy and daddy to help them out and bail them out of their situation. The bad part is, they leave alone
(usually) but later come back "home" and they bring more with them!
Wrong answer here. My thoughts/perspective on this problem anyway.
eezlock

[eezlock]

18 year old

sorry about double post don't know how it happened. eezlock

[dlminehart]

I wonder if 18 was picked because it's the standard age when one has finished high school. Back in the time, that was when most folks started a job, and therefore had more responsibilities, often started a family, etc. Nowadays, it would seem that 21 (getting through an undergraduate program) is more the norm. Biologically, I think most of us are fully grown by 19 or 20. Maturity then depends more on experiences.

[Tom Slick]

I know people that are 30 and act like they are 15, on the other hand you'll find many mature 18yo in the military, by age 20 they are running crews of people doing amazing things.

physiologically we are adults by the age of 18. emotionally we mature according to our surroundings.

[MilDoc]

The "age of reason" was considered 7 for years. And until child work laws were passed even 7 year olds worked 12 hour days.

I certainly agree that there is no "age of maturity." I didn't realize just how smart my mother was until I was 20 or 21.

But to me, "maturity" does not equal "knowing right from wrong." That is something most people should have a basic idea of by early to mid-teens or even younger. And knowing right from wrong does not equal "impulse control."

I personally think a lot of "kids" are far less "mature" than they were in the 50s and 60s (and seem to be getting worse). But they still know in general what is right, and what is plain wrong.

[germdoc]

If you study child development, you realize that the maturation of the moral process occurs quickly during adolescence, while intellectual maturaion is a much longer process.

An 18-y.o. may not be able to solve complicated situational questions involving personal relations, goals in life, etc., but he/she darn well should be able to know 1) you don't kill, 2) you don't hurt people, 3) you don't steal. Anyone who doesn't know this by age 16 is a sociopath or well on his way to becoming one.

[leehljp]

A lot of the physical, emotional and rational processes & development as it relates to age are very culturally related. There is a noticeable difference between some Asiatic cultures versus Western cultures.

But why 18? It is a general maker. It is easier to establish a set age as a rule and work back for the exceptions, and some areas of government regulations and private sector requirements do allow for, and have "special" exceptions such as:
1. DL needed in farming and special family situation;
2. Admissions to institutions of higher learning that have age requirements or other educational requirements
3. lots of others.

IN the same vein but more nebulous: What determines intelligence?
(Percentage wise, there are just as many geniuses in illiterate countries as there are in literate countries.)

[LCHIEN]

AT 18 you are suddenly old enough to fight for and die for, your country.

At 18 you have had the physical skills to drive a car on public streets for two years (according to the government), but lack the judgment to do so safely for another 7 years (so says the insurance company).

[jking]

If at the age of 18 someone doesn't know that it's wrong to kill their child, there is a serious problem with them. I would think most 10 year olds know this. I agree with MilDoc about the kids seeming to become less mature as time goes on. You read some of the stories in the news & realize our society is heading for some serious problems down the road.

[Alex Franke]

AT 18 you are suddenly old enough to fight for and die for, your country. At 18 you have had the physical skills to drive a car on public streets for two years (according to the government), but lack the judgment to do so safely for another 7 years (so says the insurance company).

My point exactly. If you have the physical, emotional, intellectual (etc, etc) abilities required to safely operate a car, then you should be able to operate one. Even if you're 10. (OMG, am I really saying this?!?) And if you don't, then you shouldn't -- even if you're 30. Similarly, if you pass the "I Really Do Know What I'm Getting Myself Into" test then you should be able to register for the draft. If you don't, then you shouldn't -- no matter the age.

If at the age of 18 someone doesn't know that it's wrong to kill their child, there is a serious problem with them. I would think most 10 year olds know this.

Just to be clear, I'm not arguing this at all -- nor am I defending that student's actions, or suggesting that she should be let off the hook. That's simply the story that got me pondering the legal "switch" that's flipped when someone turns eighteen...

Come to think of it, you can probably really throw a monkey wrench into the issue by considering motherhood... What if a woman doesn't pass the "I'm Fit To Be A Mother" test? Do you take the baby away? Of course, I suppose that family court judges do that all the time...

[Pappy]

I believe a lot of the slowed maturing process is the fault of the way 'society' views/treats our young now as opposed to when many of us grew up.

When I was about 11 or 12 I tried to play basketball. I spent most of the time on the bench because I sucked at it. The coach told me the best thing I could do with a basketball was give it to someone else and go home. Did that hurt my feelings? Yes. Did it destroy my self esteem? No! I gave up the game and concentrated on baseball. By 14, I had a good curve, decent slider and a fair sinker. At 16, I was the only kid around that could throw, and control, a sidearm knuckle ball! That coach saved me from wasting a lot of time on a sport I wasn't good at.

In today's programs, I would have been given equal playing time with the better players, since protecting my self esteem would be more important than the team winning or losing. Today every kid is a winner if they had a good time and didn't suffer any psychological damage. B.S.! If the score is 36 - 5, you lost. Learn to deal with it, it's probably going to happen again before your time is up! If you don't like the feeling, practice and get better at what you are doing.

[LCHIEN]

I propose that it be made NOT a crime to injure, kill or otherwise harm your child.

An intelligent parent with a clearly inadequate, messed up child should be able to end their life as easily as they created it.

Non-intelligent parents who fail to buckle their children in cars, leave them in closed cars on hot texas days, give them drugs or abuse them should be permitted to kill their children with impunity. It just makes Darwins theory work much more efficiently. Don't take those kids away from them!

Yeah, so this is about 50% Tongue in cheek.