Teenagers-Near Adult Or Near Child

Most think it's age 18, but that's actually not the standard around the world, or even in the United States. In American Samoa, it's age 14, but in El Salvador, males don't reach the Age of Majority until age 25. In Mississippi, it's age 21, but for the most part overall, in the United States, it's age 18

Why age 18? At the time of the Civil War, it was ordered that males reaching age 18 would be required to register for the possibility Military Conscription, also known as "The Draft", the "Call-up" or "National Service". After the end of the Civil War, as result of the Age of Conscription, males demanded the right to be considered adults at that age. Later, in the 20th Century, with the push for the ERA, females were granted the same right, but without the same requirements.

Why were males Drafted at age 18?

This was established for two primary reasons.

First, by the time of the Civil War, it was determined that at age 18, males reach their peak in being able to sustain long and arduous hours/days of battle with little rest. As advancements in our understanding of the human condition took place in the 20th Century, we learned that this is the point when the male body wastes less than 5% of oxygen and nutrient energy. Females reach this point at age 14.

Second, the lack of maturity of the human brain, at age 18, makes the task of forcing the male to overcome the inherent reservation against the taking of another human life, much easier. As the male brain continues to mature, this becomes increasing more difficult, than finally becoming impossible in the mid to later 20s.

Evident in this is that at age 18, the human brain has still not yet reached its full maturity, but is just in its final stage.

This stage takes another 12 years to complete in females, and 18 years to complete in males. Historically, Christ was not mature enough to leave home, and make his own decisions, until age 30. Until this point in the lives of young adults, they are still feeling the desires, needs, and wants of any child.

Their bodies are still producing large quantities of the hormone that can override the brain's logical sense, driving the overwhelming desire for something that may not be in their own best interest. As a preadolescence, it was that newest toy. However, as adolescences and the teen years emerge, it's that newest boy or girl. To the human brain, it's all the same. It so desires something that all else is ignored. Especially, as regards the logical advice of parents.

A teenage is not an ALMOST ADULT. Their decision power is being driven more by desire than logic, and this has to be considered when parents decide what levels of privacy is in their best interest.

Personal privacy, as concerns bathing and dressing, is one thing, but privacy as concerns their room and personal life, is another. They lack the full decision making power to decide what is in their own best interest, thus the need for an involved adult to set limits, plus exercise the policy of "Trust, But Confirm".

Those limits may include the Rights of Privacy as regards a parent not looking through a teenager's room and/or personal belongings. However, the parents have to balance that against the potential of the affects of a teen's bad decision. Moreover, considering the number of bad decisions a teenager can make, many of which can bring legal action back onto the family as a whole, their right of privacy cannot override what's in the Best Interest of the Family.

A teenager may demand the Privacy Rights of an adult, but the overall safety of the family takes precedence.

Though a teen may have trouble seeing past next week, or next month, the fact remains that once they are LEGAL ADULTS, AND NO LONGER LIVING AT HOME, they have 70 Plus Years of life ahead to do whatever they want, without parental limitations. All parents very well remember what it was like to be limited in their decisions and privacy by their parents. And, how many of the decisions they made as teenagers and young adults affected the rest of their lives.

There is a whole world waiting for teenagers to join it, when they are fully ready. And, when that time comes, they will have the right of privacy to lock their doors, and make choices in their private lives, the results of which will affect no one except himself or herself. With the possible exception of calling Mom or Dad to get them bailed out. This life is not going anywhere. And, having limited privacy rights while in the family home is not going to make that time any less pleasurable. One must only have the patience to wait for it.

There is a whole world waiting for teenagers to join it, when they are fully ready. And, when that time comes, they will have the right of privacy to lock their doors, and make choices in their private lives, the results of which will affect no one except himself or herself. With the possible exception of calling Mom or Dad to get them bailed out.

This life is not going anywhere. And, having limited privacy rights while in the family home is not going to make that time any less pleasurable. One must only have the patience to wait for it.