This isn't just a plug for my blog (which by the way you can read at http://community.cypnow.co.uk/blogs/whats_on_the_web/default.aspx - that's http://community.cypnow.co.uk/blogs/whats_on_the_web/default.aspx)

A genuinely interesting question has risen from this blog (did I mention you can read it at http://community.cypnow.co.uk/blogs/whats_on_the_web/default.aspx) - when does a child become a young person?

The CYP Now team is scratching its collective head.  Is it at age 11?  When a child reaches their teens?  16?  18?  Or are we all our parent's children forever and young people as long as we feel like it?

We are all very keen to hear your thoughts - when does a child become a young person? Furthermore, what's the difference between a child and a young person? And will CYP Now have to change its title as a result of this?

I'd always assumed it happens around puberty, which is a gradual transition and different for everyone.

Is 'young people' just a right-on name for children though and can be applied no matter what age?

Actually I think child can be applied until 18. We often forget that young people are still children. No where is that clearer than in the field of youth justice. 

As the Government has now said over-16's will be prosecuted if found carrying a knife (and there's a cracking ongoing discussion on this at http://community.cypnow.co.uk/forums/t/396.aspx) are we to assume the DCSF thinks the age a child becomes a young person is 16?

I'm unclear on the whole youth justice area - aren't children exempt from some laws, but what about the Bulger case - I think they were both 11 weren't they? Did they get tried for murder?

I don't think children are 'exempt' from any laws but the legal system is supposed to recognise children as minors and try, and punish, them as such.

In reality a lot of young people especially those over 16 end up in prisons alongside adults due to space issues in the secure youth estate, among other reasons - so in short they're treated like adults, even though they're still children.

The Bulger case is something of an exceptional one in many ways.  I am not sure, when considering the youth justice system as a whole, how helpful the Bulger case actually is as an example because it is so unique, but perhaps other readers have other thoughts?

I've written about this a couple of times...

when-is-a-young-person-not-a-young-person

children-grow-up-too-fast

The one that especially irritates me is to not make a distinction between 'young person' and 'young adult' - we have a couple of members on a national advisory body (a young persons advisory body) - the age range for this group is between 12 & 25 - I started working as a Youth Worker at age 23 and I always thought it was weird then that supposedly Youth Services went up to age 25 (not that I remember seeing anybody of that age using the services!)

 Sounds a bit like the question the judge asked of the prostitute; When were you first made aware that you had been raped? She replied, "When the cheque bounced."

I suppose in answer to the original question, "When ever it suits".

Thats certainly true now - albeit whenever it suits youth organisations/funders! I'm fairly sure most young people couldn't care less although I do remember not wanting to be referred to as a "child" at a certain point!

I wrote a blog on a similar subject a few days ago http://www.breakfastsociety.com/2008/07/transition-to-adulthood/

(sorry Cathy think I've overtaken the plugs for your own blog now!) - but I do think as things currently are they're confusing and inconsistent and it would help if there was more a transitional approach between children/youth/young adulthood/adulthood - not just for young people but also for youth organisations.

For a job interview I was once asked to design a programme for 14 - 18 year olds. I started by asking one person to pretend they were 16, another they were 16 and the other they were 18 - and then asked each of them to imagine what they're concerns & interests were at those ages.

My point was that a 14 year old hadn't started their exams at school, the 16 year old may have failed misreably, and the 18 year old may have been in full time work for 2 years already - their stages of life were vastly different, so trying to design a programme for that age range wasn't sensible (I got the job and we agreed instead to focus on 11 - 16 year olds).

Still, I imagine you're right John and for quite sometime it will remain as whenever it suits

See 'How old do I have to be to ...?' * for a comprehensive account of the many and varied rights and responsibilities that come with ages from birth to twenty one.

 Price £5-00 from *www.caeuk.org

It's an excellent and cheap source of accurate information on this topic [but then I would say that wouldnt I]

Fergus Smith