Ever wonder why humanity has chosen 18 as the legal age? There is a whole story behind it.
During the medieval ages, 21 was the age of adulthood simply because at that age men were capable of wearing a fully armored suit. It continued until the 20th century. But the 20th century was a scene of horrific wars, and there was a high demand for manpower. Historically, we know that, the U.S. government decided to enlist 18-year-old adults into the army during World War II and the Korean war. People were not happy that 18 years olds had to go to the army but did not have the right to vote. As a result, in 1971, the 26th amendment was passed to lower the age of voting from 21 to 18.
The stage when the law declares a person as an adult is also called the age of majority. This term refers to the age when the legal system treats a person as an adult. Having said that, one should notice that the age of majority is not equivalent to physical or mental maturity. When it comes to maturity, longitudinal neuroimaging studies show that an adolescent brain continues to mature well into the 20s and some even say the general age of maturity is 25. Even then it does not mean that a person will be mature at that age, but the brain is basically developed to its near maximum potential.
The Age of Majority vs. the Age of Consent
When you are 18 the law declares you an adult and you are responsible for your actions in the legal sense. Before turning 18 your parents or guardians were responsible for you.
However, the age of majority (18 in most cases) is different from the age of consent. The age of consent is the age when a person can consent to sexual relations according to law. The age varies from country to country. For example, according to the federal law of the U.S, the age of 12 is the minimum age of consent. However, 18 is the age when you can have consensual sexual activities without restrictions. This means you can have sex with a person aged 12-18 but this may open to prosecution under some circumstances.
The Age of Majority vs. the Age of License
As a legal term, “license” means permission or legally enforceable right or privilege. It is the age when the government permits you to engage in certain types of activities like buying a drink, cigarettes, driving, etc. To engage in certain types of activities, you need to reach the age of license. On the other hand, the age of majority is the simple legal recognition of adulthood.
Some ages of licenses are actually higher than the age of majority, for example, the right to buy alcohol. This is because even though a person is legally recognized as an adult at the age of 18, they are not considered fully mature to do certain types of activities. For example, you can buy, consume alcoholic beverages if you are 18 to 21 years old, but someone aged 21 and above should accompany you.
What Does Religion Say?
Major world religions have specified their age of majority. According to Judaism, a male becomes an adult at the age of 13 and female – at 12. According to Islam, a male who has entered puberty is considered an adult at the age of 15. The Roman Catholic Church considered an adult at the age of 18.
Conclusion
It seems the legal age is not connected either with the physical or mental maturity of a person. That’s the reason that many states in the US and countries across the globe have different ages of majority, the age of consent and license age.
