Who is more confused....?

Who is more confused…?

Legal Age for Young People to survive in the UK


Who is more confused? Young people or adults (i.e. adults being government, society, parents, police, teachers)?

Young people are indeed more confused in today’s society more than ever before, but where does all this confusion come from?

One example of the origin of this confusion is regarding legal ages for young people to survive in the UK.

There are many things that I believe contradict the ages stipulated by legislation in order for young people to live and survive in today’s society in the UK.

Young people already receive a range of mixed messages every day from society which adds further to their confusion.

Have a look at the information below relating to legal ages for young people living in the UK and let me know what you think.

For instance,

At the age of 10, young people can:

- Be convicted of an offence, but not imprisoned

At the age of 12, young people can:

- From 12 years old young people can be incarcerated (not imprisoned) in special units, e.g. Local Authority Secure Units (LASUs)

At the age of 13, young people can:

- Be employed for a certain number of hours a week

At the age of 14, young people can:

- Go to the pub, but cannot drink or buy alcohol - Are responsible for wearing a seat belt

At the age of 15, young people can:

- Be a ‘juvenile offender’ in custody in juvenile units in Young Offender Institutions (YOI)

At the age of 16, young people can:

- Get a job
- Get married, with consent from one parent or legal guardian
- Have a baby
- Go to college? (UK legislations have changed recently where young people must stay on at school until they are 18).
- Have a licence to drive/ride a moped
- Buy a national lottery ticket
- Visit a young offender only with their own parents or with written permission from a responsible adult
- Age of consent for sexual relationships
- Claim social security benefit
- Be interviewed by the police with any responsible adult
- Choose their own doctor
- Work full-time
- Leave home with parents’ consent
- Drink wine or beer in a restaurant

At the age of 17, young people can:

- Go to college?
- Visit a young offender with a responsible adult
- Have a provisional driving licence for any vehicle except certain heavy ones
- Be interviewed by the police without parents or any other ‘responsible adult’ and therefore be treated as an adult

- Purchase an air rifle
- Have legal proceedings without involvement of parents or any other responsible adult
- Engage in street trading
- Leave home without parents’ consent

At the age of 18, young people can:

- Change their name
- Buy alcohol (only in some places. The permitted age to buy and consume alcohol varies across the UK from 18 – 25 years of age. Some retail outlets require young people as old as 25 to provide proof of their age)
- Go abroad to sing, play or perform professionally
- Appear before adult courts
- Go to a night club
- Sit on a jury
- Be a ‘young offender’ in custody Young Offender Institutions (YOI)
- Visit a young offender on their own
- Apply for a passport
- Act as an executor of a person’s will

- Be Deported from the UK even if they had, previous to becoming 18 years of age, been looked after by local authorities as a separated and vulnerable young person (separated children is the term used to describe children who are ‘outside their country and separated from their parents or legal or customary carers’)
- Be detained in a detention centre on attaining the age of 18, as an alternative to or prior to deportation as above.
- Buy cigarettes
- Leave school
- Get married without parents’ consent
- Vote
- Bet
- Own houses and land
- Be a blood donor
- Apply for a mortgage
- Buy fireworks
- Hold a licence to sell alcohol
- Drink alcohol in a pub

NB: Some ages may vary in Scotland.

Any surprises here for you? Let me know what you think.

Have you been LiBERATED yet?

NEW LIFE! NEW FREEDOM! NEW YOU!

With Inspirational Blessings
Jennifer McLeod

Born To Win! book Series:

Born To Win! Live Your Ultimate Life Vision Today. NEW RELEASE!!! Get your copy here: http://tinyurl.com/6lf3gj

Born To Win! Success Strategies for Young Businesses and New Entrepreneurs. Get your copy here: http://tinyurl.com/6x6u9t

Born To Win! Success Strategies - EBOOK. Get your copy here: http://tinyurl.com/66hovs

Creator of Easy Tiger Parents System™
Creator of Born To Win! Programme for Young People™

E: parent@jennifermcleod.co.uk
E: youngpeople@jennifermcleod.co.uk
www.stepup-international.co.uk
+44 (0) 121 551 1668