Age of Responsibilities

Donna Jewel Ring

Hearst

6 April 2016

Age Of Responsibility

Most countries consider the age of responsibility eighteen but there is one problem with that, governments hold various laws differently.

Some ask, why is there a legal age difference between driving and drinking? Adolescents have been raised in a rushed and open society that makes them feel determined to be equal to people who are older than them. Because of this the government has to constantly make new laws because of what is being advertised to, and the expectations of, the younger generations.

The age of responsibility is really all about one's decision making. Through the chronological ages of twenty-one and twenty-four, studies have shown that we are able to make proper decisions, control our impulses, and have gained a degree of maturity. This is something teenagers lack and need to be taught. When we were little we had to be taught how to talk, walk, and read. We also have to be taught how to control our impulses, learn right from wrong, and have respect. If we aren’t taught these things, it can lead to serious trouble. For example, some teens have unprotected intercourse which can lead to pregnancy, single parenting, dropping out of school or possibly abortion.

Some colleges are wanting to lower the drinking age requirements down to eighteen because it is their belief that it will help students discover the dangers and help them recognize life isn’t about drinking. The crime statistics for college students worldwide who drink are; injury - 599,000, death - 17,000, sexual assault - 97,000. Do you think an eighteen year old will have the self control to know when to stop drinking or when to know when they are so drunk that they could be getting alcohol poisoning?