Parents don't make all the rules!!

This page contains useful information on the legal age limits related to your son/daughter, from marriage and sex to the armed forces...

When is a child a child?

A child is a child in the legal sense up until their 18th birthday, from then on, they are legally treated as an adult. This means that parents have a responsibility for their child up until they are at least 16 years old. When leaving your child alone, there is no minimum legal age requirements and is left up to parental judgement.

Leaving home

Unfortunately you cannot force an older teen to stay at home if they do not want to. You can however, apply to the courts to get your teen home, but they unlikely to force the teen back home if there has been for example relationship breakdowns. Follow this link to find out more about young people leaving home and homelessness applications.

Marrige and sex

From the age of 16 young people can get married with parental consent or from 18 without consent. The legal limit that a young person can give consent to having sex is 16 years old that is in heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

Smoking

As from October 2007 the legal age limit to buy cigarettes increased from 16 to 18 years old. Most shops have been encouraged to ask people for I.D. if they appear to be under the age of 21 and may refuse purchase if they cannot prove their age. Note: there is no minimum age at which it is illegal to smoke.

Alcohol

The legal age limit to when young people can drink in a licensed premises is 18. But 16 and 17 year olds can have a beer or glass of wine in a licensed place with a meal when accompanied by an adult. It is illegal for a licensed place to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 and also illegal for anyone to purchase alcohol for someone who is under 18. Although children are able to drink at home from the age of 5.  Confused??

Gambling

Not all gambling machines i.e. fruit machines have a legal age limit, but some do and often will state this very clearly. Most casinos will only allow 21 years and above and the purchase of lottery tickets is restricted to 16 years and older. Young people under the age of 18 cannot go into a betting shop.

Working

This is where it gets complicated. To make it simpler they will be listed.

With some exceptions, young people can legally work from the age of 13.

14 year olds can do light work, for no more than 2 hours on a school day and no more than 25 hours per week. They are not allowed to work before 7am or after 7pm.

15 and 16 year olds are also restricted to the above, unless the 16 year old has left school

16 year olds that have left school and have a National Insurance number can work full-time and the minumum wage level will apply.

For an up-to-date record of what the minimum age wage levels are click on the link.

Medical consent

This has been in many headlines and an area of concern for some parents but to clarify, at the age of 16 young people can register with a GP and give their own consent to receiving treatment (this means they can have treatment without parental consent).

They also have the right for the service that they recieve from a GP to be confidential, as long as they are judged as being mature enough to understand the issues concerned. Doctors also have a responsibility to uphold all of their patients confidential rights and so will not tell parents of their son/daughter, 16 or under about treatment without the permission of the patient involved. Doctors will always encourage young people to talk things over with parents.

Piercings and tatoos

You might be upset to hear that there is no legal age limit to having peircings, but again must be percieved as mature enough, if parental consent is not given. It is up to the piercing shop involved as to whether they want parental consent or not, although most places will insist that young people have parent with them or have parental consent.

Tatoos are another story though - the legal age limit of having a tatoo is 18 and most places will ask for proof of age, if a person appears to be under the age of 18. Relieved??

The police and criminal responsibility

Nowadays you may notice more police presense in your community this could be local beat officers or community support officers.  Either can stop and talk to young people at any age. Police can stop and search if they have reason to believe they are carrying illegal weapons, drugs or stolen items or match the descriptions of a reported persons. From the age of 10 young people can be searched without parents presence and the age of 17 can be interviewed by police without an adult present. Young people from the age of 10 can be held criminally responsible, this includes ASBO'S (Anti Social Behaviour Orders).

School leaving age

The school leaving age is 16 years old. This means teenagers must remain in school or educatiom until the last friday in June during the school year in which they become 16. But will rise to 17 in 2013. To find out if this will effect any of your children, please follow this link Compulsory learning age

Truancy - As a parent you have a resonsibility to make sure your child receives an education and attends school. To find out how to access support if this is an issue for you or for more information on school attendance and absence click the link.

Armed forces

16 year olds can join the armed forces with parental consent and without from 18 years old.

Information taken from: A Parents Guide to understanding teenagers, Oxfordshire County Council, 2009