The age of responsibility is often a controversial topic resulting in discussions on what the age should be. There are two main arguments about what the age of responsibility should be. One idea comes from a group that believes 18 is the age at which you reach the age of accountability. Their points to back this up are that you receive a good majority of your adult rights at the age of 18. So why isn't it also the standard age of responsibility? It is not the agreed-upon age because there are groups that believe that 18 is too young to be considered the age of responsibility. This group of people believes that 21, and in some cases 25, is a more reasonable age. They back up their argument with points like, at age 18, you are still a teen, and your brain is still developing. This disagreement on the age of responsibility causes confusion about when someone should receive full responsibility. With our brains not being fully developed until the age of 25, the age of 20 makes logical sense as the age at which one becomes an adult.
The age of 20 is an appropriate age for becoming an adult because it is between the ages of 18 and 21; the two heavily argued over the ages of responsibility. These two ages are the two main ages that are discussed because, at age 18, you receive the right to vote, serve, and make personal financial decisions (United States Constitution). The age of 21 is in the discussion because when you are legally able to drink alcohol (United States, Congress). Aside from the legal aspects of the two ages, at the age of 18, you are still young and may not make the most logical decision; however, saying that someone has not reached the age of responsibility because they cannot legally drink is not right. For that reason, the age of 20 makes logical sense because it's older than 18 but younger than the legal drinking age.
At the age of 18, you are fresh out of high school and may not have had a lot of experience in the real world outside of school so the age of 20 makes sense for that too. By the age of 20, you have had two years to experience the outside world, and maybe even what college is like, and make some sort of financial decisions. By this time, you have developed a better feel for what the real world is really like, and how to make good decisions. Also, the age of 20 has allowed you more time to develop your logical reasoning. You develop logical reasoning over time, and it's a part of your brain's development (Young). The part of your brain is not fully developed until a few years before your entire brain is done developing, which is around the age of 25.
Neurologists have a pretty hefty role in the argument against the age of responsibility being 18. This is because neurologists have been conducting studies and tests that show that the human brain is not fully developed until age 25. They use this scientific evidence to support their claim. While neurologists argue that 18 is too young, they also say that waiting un...
