Is 16 and adult or a child?

[CalleighDoodle]

Not a thread about a thread. Actually a thread about two threads so technically...

Ive read today very different responses to questions about people the same age. Similar issues (sexual relationships). different sexes.

How can a female at 16 be called an adult who should be allowed to do what she wants, despite that behaviour being very risky, yet a male at 16 is a child who shouldnt date one person 6/7 years older?

I know a number of late-teen women who married men at least 10 years older than them. Is that ok because they are a more adulty adult that a 16 year old woman, and much more of an adult of a 16 year old 'boy'?

Aibu here or is the sexism on a women's forum towards women really quite unbelievable?

I also left home and went to uni at 16, and felt very much an adult. I was in a relationship with a 20yo, and it didn't occur to me to ask my parents advice on anything. I didn't have a mobile phone or even a landline at the time either.

I think teenagers are a bit "younger" these days though, with less opportunity to be independent in their early teens, to prepare them for that sort of thing.

I have a 16 year old DS and I would say child with frequent glimpses of the adult they will be.

""The difficulty in the UK is that there is no status separating being a child and being an adult.""

The LA definition is 'Young Person', or vulnerable young adult, there is now very specific guidelines, under the law.

It's a weird one.

People my parents age could leave full time education at 15 and my age could leave aged 16. My children are part of the stay in full time education until 18 generation.

Jason Burt Jack Cornwell Bravery by 16 year olds that clearly show these were men, not children. I do think we infantalise young people these days and that 16 year olds are perfectly capable of being adults if they are encouraged to be responsible.

Technically a minor, therefore a child.

"The LA definition is 'Young Person', or vulnerable young adult, there is now very specific guidelines, under the law."

That's interesting, Birds, I'd not heard of that. Does that apply to 16-18yo then? So technically speaking, people of that age group are still minors, but classed as young people not children? Because if so, the message hasn't really got through to the general public...

Child.

Is a 17 year old still a child or young adult?

There is a difference between legally an adult and whether they behave in an adult fashion. I'm in Scotland so 16 pretty much the legal age for a lot of things and yet still remains 18 for others i.e. could be married and in the Army and voting but still can't buy alcohol or watch an 18 rated movie.

People all mature differently though. Surely it's our job as parents though to make it so that there isn't suddenly a switch flicked on their birthday and then that's it?

I couldn't really force my 14 year old to do very much if he didn't want to. Thankfully though I am able to talk and guide him and he is pretty sensible. I appreciate that others aren't in the same position. I would also expect still to be giving guidance and support for many many years though obviously it's up to them whether they take it.

There is also an element of "while you are living under my roof" I suppose.

When I look back at my behaviour (which to me now is unrecognisable) I believe even at 18/19 you have the life experience and mentality of a child. The only difference is by 16 most are reaching physical maturity.

I think 16 is a kind of limbo-land. Legally it seems to be a bit of both, although you are not completely a legal adult until 18. I remember feeling like neither one nor the other when I was 16. I didn't really feel like a child as I had done say, three to four years earlier, but I didn't really feel like an adult either. I remember once being out with my mum's friend when I was 16 and my sister 14 and the friend's children were 18 and 16. My mum said something like "Can I have a child please" (probably to ask one of us to run an errand) and her friend replied "There are none left". Also remember one of our teachers saying when we were about 14/15 that we weren't really children any more and in some countries we'd probably have our own children.

I suppose the concept of a teenager is fairly recent; people used to leave education much earlier and were out working, earning and being independent at a younger age. So at the end of the day how long you are considered to be a child depends on the society in which you live. I don't think of 16-year-olds as adults - legally they're children (but less so than 15-year-olds) but I would probably refer to them as young people or teenagers. However when mine reach the age of 16 I will probably be still thinking of them as children! I suppose there is a fine balance between giving them some independence in accordance with their age and gradually preparing them for adulthood whilst recognising that they may not have much life experience or maturity.

Child.

My 16 year old certainly is.

Child

It's a child who's almost an adult. Simple! 18 is a young adult.

these days children.
when I was 16 we were pretty much adults as had left school and were working ft.
not most kids are at school/6form untill 18/19

When I was 16 I was in a relationship with a 25 year old, moved in with him and had a baby not long after I turned 17. Thanks to useless parents I grew up fast.

The brain continues to mature as well as the body well into the 20's.
The world has changed since laws were written 200years ago.
16 Child with the possibility of taking on some adult tasks.

You've started from a faulty premise, OP.

16 is a child, male or female. You've decided that "Mumsnet" as if that is an entity with one voice has said that 16 year old girls with older guys is ok, whereas the other way around is not. When in reality, only a handful of lobe voices said anything remotely like that.

All 16 year olds are children. Boys and girls. We know they are because we don't let them vote, live alone (generally), get married, leave school without permission, get credit or even drink in a pub. Because they are too young to make good choices and look after themselves properly.

I'm surprised anyone needs to ask, to be honest. Seems fairly fucking obvious to me.

Child definitely.

That's a meaningless question without context.

Even legally, someone is considered an adult in some ways before they are an adult in other ways.

Technically/legally I'd say they were an adult (in Scotland).

However, in reality I don't think adult should start until 21. I like the German system, when I run the country minors/children will be U15, Young people will be 15-20, adult 21+

Legally a child. Absolutely. I work in child protection, and we very definitely consider a 16 yr old a child (although obviously taking into account everything that goes with adolescence).

However, they are at the age of consent so can have sexual relationships with anyone of any age (although obviously someone in a position of trust - teacher etc - will face consequences professionally if they enter in anything of that nature).

by any age, I of course mean 'adult' age!

It's the transition time from child to adult, so somewhere in between.

Actually sorry just realised there's a word for it, teenager .

I don't care about any context. To me, a 16yo is a child and should be protected appropriately depending on the emotional maturity of the individual.

Both my kids have been emotionally immature at 16, despite their protestations to the contrary.