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Original poster

To refer to 17 year olds as 'children'?

62 replies

containsnuts · 11/08/2021 20:21

I noticed this a lot in the media lately and wondered what other people think of it. At 17 you can get married, drive, vote (Scotland) and are considered criminally responsible but somehow still often referred to as a 'child' in non legal contexts. What's wrong with 'teenager', 'young person' or 'young adult'? What are your thoughts?

OP posts:
AngryWhompingWillow · 11/08/2021 20:48

@containsnuts

I guess legally they are, but some 17 y.o.s are more mature than some 45 year olds I know! Grin

It's like people are ELDERLY at 65 (legally,) but most people would be hugely offended at being called that at 65. You should be called elderly when you're 80, not 65. And maybe you're only a child til you're 15!

I dunno. SO many variables, and so many different maturity levels. It's hard.

FizziWater · 11/08/2021 20:43

In paediatrics they often class up to 25 as children because development isn't complete until then.
Loads of threads on this. 17 is a child IMO. Just because the law says they can marry doesn't make it a good idea.

Generalpost · 11/08/2021 20:43

Legally 17 is a child and 18 is an adult. But its not a flick of a button on your 18th birthday everyone matures at different rates

Chickydoo · 11/08/2021 20:41

17 is a child.
18 is an adult

ChainJane · 11/08/2021 20:41

If they can't drive an HGV or buy fireworks then they're not an adult.

RedMarauder · 11/08/2021 20:36

It's because legally they are children in a lot of other aspects.

So depending on the context I call them "teens" or "children". I only refer to teens who 18+ up to those who are 25 as "young adults".

Germolenequeen · 11/08/2021 20:35

YABU

itsgettingwierd · 11/08/2021 20:34

Well 17 is a child.

18 is an adult.

Teenager could be anything from 13-19

Young adult could be an 18yo - just an adult.

I could go on Grin

My ds is 17 next week. I call him a child because he is one. But I'll also say "bloody teens" if he's being an arse etc.

Neither is wrong and neither is better than another or makes it clearer imo. As long as the age is printed next to where it say child then the articles aren't misleading.

Marguerite2000 · 11/08/2021 20:32

I think of 17 year olds as young adults. Thats probably because I'm older, and how we were treated at that age.

JaggedLittlePilI · 11/08/2021 20:29

Teenager seems a bit informal. I don't like when private schools refer to boys and girls, talking about say A-level students - it makes me cringe a bit.

BeQuietBrenda · 11/08/2021 20:29

My 17.5 year old is becoming an adult and I am more and more adjusting my expectations of her accordingly. She isn't a child, she's almost 18 and therefore almost an adult, treating her as child would do her a huge disservice.

BedknobsNoBroomsticks · 11/08/2021 20:25

My 17 year old is still a child in every way so yes I do refer to them as a child.

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