EFFECTS OF CHILDREN OVER 15 SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND SOCIETY SHOULD ACCEPT THAT CHILDREN MATURE AT YOUNG AGE AND ADJUST THE LAW ACCORDINGLY

Nowadays we can easily found in news or any other sources that teenagers at young age have already making a trouble. If the society accepts that children mature at young age and adjust the law accordingly, I could not imagine how the world would look like. By common understanding, at age over 15, children begin to think broader which expected to take much more responsibility for their own learning. Here I would like to highlight the negative effects if the society would change the law. First of all, death rates at early age. According to most articles, between ages of 16-19 years old has the highest rate of death statistics when compared to any other age groups. Minino (2010) stated that these deaths among teenagers include accidents, homicide, suicide, cancer, and heart disease. According to a website (www.after-car-accidents.com), accidents can happen due to teen’s carelessness, such as, not wearing seatbelts, inexperience, driving beyond speed limit given and also distraction. In definition of distraction here is that most teen would have one hand on their phone, texting or calling, and only one hand steering. This can be reduced actually, if the law would be adjusted to 18 years old above that can only own a driving license. Most of these ages, also, likes to drink alcohol while driving. This can cause a serious injure to an accident, If the law would accept children at 15 years older to drink, this could become worst. On the other hand, suicide, cancer and heart disease happens because of drugs and smoking. According to Blumberg et al. (2003), “Cigarette smoking at age 18 or younger is the number one cause of preventable disease and death worldwide. Smoking-related diseases claim over 393,000 American lives each year.” He also found that according to he United Nations 2008 World Drug Report, about 3.9% of the world’s population between ages of 15 and 64 abuse marijuana. In addition, recent studies among 15-16 years old suggest that use of marijuana varies from under 10% to over 40%.

Another common effect is early marriage, famously known as teenage pregnancy. This happens when parents does not aware of their children going out alone or with friends, in such ways, teenage nowadays would say to their parents that they are having a sleepover with their friends, but instead, they are actually going to a hotel alone with their so called soul-mate. Normally, most of these teenagers never graduate in high school, with responsibilities they have to face on their pregnancies plus homework and exams, they would just have to drop out of school with no choice. Numerous numbers of teens have never even thought about how pregnancy would affect their lives. For instance, they would not able to support their child well. An un-graduate teen would be having a trouble finding a proper job with their lowest qualification. As a result, they

become poor and have no place to live. This can also leads to divorce, when one can’t support each other or stressed out thinking of how they can survive, they could give up easily.

Furthermore, in connection of the two examples, the main cause is because they have lack of guidance from their parents. Parents have become an important role to keep the children on the right track from the day their children were born. However, some parents are too busy with their work, or they thought that children nowadays could be independent by themselves. This reason leads to children at 15 over have poor of decision making. For example, they become socially attached to their friends, hanging out at midnight, doing crimes, and smoking pots. As stated from a journal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “When a person is high on drugs, his thinking and s stated from an article called Child Death Review, major risk factors of homicide are youth in drugs, gang activity, violence and also youth with little or no adult supervision.

To conclude, I would definitely disagree on society accepting children over 15 to be mature and adjust the law accordingly. As what I have stated from the above examples, children at these ages can be clearly seen that they could not or have not been ready to develop their understanding into a mature living. Even at these years of modern ages, children around 18-20 are still having trouble with their life.

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REFERENCES

Minino, A. (2010). Products - Data Briefs - Number 37 - May 2010. Cdc.gov. Retrieved 28 May 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db37.htm

Nhtsa.gov,. Facts About Young Adults Ages 16 to 20 - Motor Vehicle Occupant Protection Facts. from http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/airbags/occupantprotectionfacts/young_adults.htm

After-car-accidents.com,. (2012). Teenage Car Accidents : Top 6 Causes of Auto Crashes. Retrieved from http://www.after-car-accidents.com/teenage-car-accidents.html

Blumberg, H., Burman, W., Chaisson, R., Daley, C., Etkind, S., & Friedman, L. et al. (2003). American Thoracic Society/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Infectious Diseases Society of America: treatment of tuberculosis. American Journal Of Respiratory And Critical Care Medicine, 167(4), 603.

Eschooltoday.com,. (2010). Facts on Teen Drug Abuse, Alcoholism and Smoking. Retrieved from http://eschooltoday.com/drug-abuse-and-teens/factsheet-on-teens-and-drug-abuse.html

Childdeathreview.org,. Causes of Death > Homicide (Firearm). Retrieved from http://www.childdeathreview.org/causesHF.htm