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?

Between about 16-19 they are in the transition phase. I'd consider them a child at 17 but be trying to be as hands off as possible with their daily lives but step in if any problems pop up.

At 20 they seem to really change and show that independence as a young adult.

When you think of a 17 year old do you think of an adult or a child?

Completely depends which 17-year-old. Some I would think of as adults and some as children. Different 17-year-olds behave very differently.

I've met 25-year-olds who I'd think of as children, and 16-year-olds I'd consider adults.

They a weird combo of both 🤣

I can clearly remember being 17 and I was an independent child.

This sounds like a fair assessment.

At 17 I left home, was at uni, got married, worked, ran my own household and was financially independent from my parents.

A near adult. But then you don't turn 18 and magically know everything and become mature and responsible overnight, that takes many years of life experience. 'Baby adults' I call them.

It depends on the individual. One of mine was definitely an adult at 17. Another of mine is still definitely a child at the age of 24!

Neither really. Adult in some respects, but because of a lack of life experience, very much still a child in others.

Child.

For me it's more of a 'depends on the situation' deal between 16&18.
Having a baby or getting married = child.
Deciding if they want a vaccine, or what to study, get a job etc = adult.
If it's going to have a lifelong, Unchangeable impact on their life, I'd say they still need parental guidance. But on things that can be changed or aren't as long lasting are decisions for them to make.

I'd say adult more than child, although if they continue on at their school 6th form rather than starting at a college/an apprenticeship/job they are probably going to be very child like stuck in school mode. I was shocked when I got to uni and some of the people I met were still wearing school uniforms a couple of months before. I'd left school over 2 years before and was treated as an adult at college, own clothes no miss or Mrs, just 1st names. I found it weird they were effectively still at school until 18. My parents started to treat us as adults as soon as we left school at 16, my in laws still have issues treating my husband as one now and he's 40!!

Son is nearly 15 and when he went for a jab recently and was in a room full of very worn out looking 15 year olds, they looked like preschoolers to me!! I think over twenty is more of an adult

Practically an adult and capable of being quite grown up at times but, yes brain still developing and still a child.

Child

The apprentices my work takes on can barely string a sentence together

I found it weird they were effectively still at school until 18

Yes, I agree having been to separate sixth form college in an area where that was very much the norm at sixteen. But for DDs, where we live now school sixth forms are the norm and IMO they don't provide the same independent interim stage as colleges, which I think is a shame.

It's not until 18 it's until almost 19, or almost 20 if you repeat year 12.

I think young person / young adult - definitely not a child.

So you’ll let a child drive a car ?

Child

Depends on the circumstances really. Making serious long term decisions, probably still a child. For everyday stuff largely an adult.

Young adult. Definitely not a child, but not quite an adult yet.

I have my very own 17yo. He’s half child, half adult. His older brother was the same at this age.

Child. Particularly now in light of the pandemic, which has meant that age group are in some ways younger than their actual age due to living restricted lives. They were in lockdown at a time when they were just gaining their independence and about to start going out with friends, doing more grown up things, learning about life

My dd is 17, she isn't a full adult, even though there are many parts of her that are. Child to adult doesn't switch over night, it's a gradual transformation. I don't think an 18 year old is full adult either, not mentally, but they're often more adult than not and the legal definition needs to switch at some point and 18 seems good enough to me.

Legally a child. Clearly its a transitional age and I'd flannel them by calling them a young adult. You're pretty much insulted to be called a child from 13 up. Sadly even up to about 23 there's some pretty childish behaviour going on!