"If society doesn't have a good understanding of at what age
adolescence occurs, we risk making very uninformed policy ... this will
have a detrimental effect not only on this generation but on generations
to come.
“An expanded and more inclusive definition of adolescence is
essential for developmentally appropriate framing of laws, social
policies, and service systems.”
A sociological argument
“Delayed timing of role transitions, including completion of
education, marriage, and parenthood, continue to shift popular
perceptions of when adulthood begins," said Sawyer.
She believes that although many adult legal privileges start at age
18 years, the adoption of adult roles and responsibilities actually
occurs later in many cases.
The paper also argues that "unprecedented social forces," including
marketing and digital media, are affecting the health and well-being of
young people in the now-extended transition period from childhood to
adulthood.
Sawyer says current policy should be changed to reflect this and protect young people.
A biological argument
“Earlier puberty has accelerated the onset of adolescence in nearly
all populations, while understanding of continued growth has lifted its
endpoint age well into the 20s,” wrote Professor Sawyer and her
colleagues.
The article states that puberty, which has historically been the
biological marker of adolescence, is now happening earlier than in the
past.
This is happening in countries all over the world but the speed at which the change has occurred varies from country to country.
According to Sawyer, in "high-income countries," including many in
Western Europe, there has been a four-year reduction in the last 200
years, whereas in "middle-income" countries, like China, the shift has
occurred more recently and more quickly.
The article argues, if the start of puberty is being used as a marker for adolescence, this shift should be taken into account.
Similarly, if the "end" is defined biologically, factors such as the
brain continuing to mature beyond the age of 20 and many people's wisdom
teeth coming through after the age of 25, should also be considered.
Could a change 'infantilise' young people?
There are, however, academics who question changing the official age
of adolescence, such as Dr Jan Macvarish, a parenting sociologist at the
University of Kent.
"Older children and young people are shaped far more significantly by
society's expectations of them than by their intrinsic biological
growth," she said.
"There is nothing inevitably infantilising about spending your early
20s in higher education or experimenting in the world of work."
Macvarish said we should not risk "pathologising their desire for independence".
In response to this, Sawyer agreed that adolescents "need to be experiencing adult responsibilities".
"(They) learn to be responsible by being given an appropriate level of responsibility," she explained.
Policy should look to "empower" young people, where appropriate, while still "protecting" them, she concluded.
