Would you consider a 17 year old an adult or a child?

[Clarke1979]

A lot of people on here seem to think that 16 is still only a child but 17 is practically an adult. What do you think? When you think of a 17 year old do you think of an adult or a child?

Child. Just a really tall and smelly child.

If they still live at home and are in full time education, they're a child imo.

Adult in some ways, child in some ways. More independent than a young kid, but still needs support and guidance.

Young adult - can make some good choices and decisions but can also make some really stupid ones so although they need more choice and freedom than a child they still need guidance.

Child, both legally and emotionally

😄 @GeekyThings .....

It changes from moment to moment..wants a pint when we go to the pub! But can't find clean sicks in front of them!

It really depends on the 17 year old. I was an adult,

my daughters... one was an adult, the other not so much.

Child

🤔depends

Looking at my DD, in full time education and living at home, I’d say a child. It really is individual though.

Child

Well it’s transitional really. I have a 17 year old very adult like in some ways but still needs nurturing and guiding in others. I was probably more independent and adult like at that age but then my parents pretty much stopped actively parenting us in our early teens. We were fed and watered but very much responsible for ourselves.

Child

Depends on the context. I'd expect a 17yo to be able to have personal responsibility on a day to day basis, babysit a child, earn their own leisure money, know right from wrong etc.

I wouldn't expect them them to have life fully sorted though.. as in financial security, career plans, full independence etc.

I consider a 17 year old to be a young adult. A young adult, to me, is not the same as a "full" adult in most cases. But, on the other hand, arguably COULD do all the things that a full adult does. But shouldn't have to, and probably would not find it easy.

Also, I do find it extremely annoying on MN - "I can't possibly leave my 16 year old at home for an evening alone" and then 2 years later, "an 18 year old should be doing all their own laundry, paying rent, and is fully capable of having a baby."

I think both really. My 17yo is a child in lots of ways, still living at home and in full time education. She has younger sibling so I wash and cook her same as I do for them. However she has a part time job and is pretty independent in lots of ways.

They’re a child, but they are at the separate stage of adolescence which needs a whole load of support and input to ensure they transition well into adulthood. They can be great fun but intensely annoying!

A 17 yr old is a child with the backing of legislation to protect them - to some extent in any case.

I agree with others that they are in a transition stage to becoming an adult but that transition can go into mid 20s !

Although a 17 yr old May think they are an adult their brain usually hasn't caught up with their body

I work with teenagers and it’s disheartening when a child turns 16 and they are told that they have to pay their own way. They then end up making decisions that impacts their future negatively.
They are still learning and finding out who they are.

It depends very much on the individual. Many 17yos are still in school uniform, have never had a job, no life experience and still mentally and emotionally quite juvenile.

My nearly 18yo is doing a full time college course, has been working more than 35 hours a week (evening, night and weekend shifts) for more than a year and has just been promoted to shift manager in his job. He's funding his own driving lessons and saving for a car, he lives with us but does all his own cooking and is very independent. I'd call him a young adult.

The word "young" is still doing some heavy lifting, however. He's still a teenager, still needs a bit of support and guidance from mum and dad, and will still come and sit on our bed in the middle of the night if something is worrying him. Becoming an adult is a process, not a moment.

Neither really.

young adult, probably.

most 17 year olds could be completely independent, get a job, flatshare etc, on a very basic level.

however to even attempt to reach their potential they still need parental support, probably until early-mid 20’s, depending on chosen career path etc.

Legally - a child. Benefits, education, dental etc all recognise a 17yo as a child.

Physically they are adult sized so I'd class them as an adult if working out (eg) food portions, clothes, shoes etc.

Child. None of mine were adults at that age even though all probably thought they were. Newsflash, they don’t suddenly turn into adults at 18yo either. I use the term kidults. Takes several years to transition from kidult to adult.

Young adults. With mine I expected from 16 that they took responsibility for most things themselves with guidance from me. It's a transitional period