In England a child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. Child protection guidance points out that even if a child has reached 16 years of age and is: living independently. in further education.
We define a child as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. This is in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and civil legislation in England and Wales.
Young people aged 18 are treated as an adult by the law.
The law does not say an age when you can leave a child on their own, but it's an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Use your judgement on how mature your child is before you decide to leave them alone, for example at home or in a car.
The age of consent for sex is 16. At this age, teenagers can also marry, but only with parental consent. A 16-year-old is legally allowed to leave home without parental consent but parents remain responsible for their child's wellbeing until they are 18, so they may still require support.
England. In England a child is defined as anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. Child protection guidance points out that even if a child has reached 16 years of age and is: living independently.
Even though the age of consent is 16 in the UK, these are common questions, so we'll answer them directly here. Both are ok in the eyes of the law – once you turn 16 you can legally have sex with anyone else who is also over the age of consent, but sexting with anyone under 18 is illegal.
Leaving a child alone with siblings
There's no legal age a child can babysit – but if you leave your children with someone who's under 16 you're still responsible for their wellbeing. You should also think carefully about leaving your child alone with an older brother or sister.
Aged 16-17
When you're 16 or over, you have the right to leave home without your parent's or carer's permission and your parents or carers have the right to ask you to leave. If you decide to move out or run away, your parents or carers can call the police. But they're unlikely to take you back unless you're unsafe.
Your parents cannot legally tell you to leave home until your 16th birthday. You can get free advice on your rights and options from the charity Centrepoint if you are 16-25 years old and homeless or about to lose your home. Message them on web chat or contact them on 0808 800 0661.
For this Act: a child is defined as a person who is under 12 years old (section 11) a young person means a person who is 12 years or older, but not yet an adult (section 12)
The legal age for consensual sex varies between 16 and 17 years across Australian state and territory jurisdictions (see Table 2). For other sexual activities, the criminal legislation relating to different types of sexual behaviours and interactions varies across Australian jurisdictions. Tas.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's parliament on Friday raised the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, a limit which had remained unchanged for more than a century and was among the world's lowest, amid calls for greater protection of children and women.
In 2021, an 11-year-old became what at least one doctor believed to be the youngest person to give birth in the U.K., according to a report by British news outlet The Sun. The girl became pregnant at 10 years old and delivered her child after more than 30 weeks of pregnancy.
It is also a criminal offence for both girls and boys aged 13, 14 and 15 to have consensual sex with anyone else aged 13, 14 or 15. This applies whether they are the initiating partner or the consenting partner.
United Kingdom
In England and Wales and in Northern Ireland a minor is a person under the age of 18; in Scotland a minor reaches the age of majority at 18 although minors from the age of 16 have legal capacity to enter into contracts.
There is no set age in the law that confirms exactly when a child can decide they don't want to see a parent. However, a child can legally decide who they want to live with at the age of 16.
At 18 you can:
Vote in General Elections and European Parliament elections in the UK. Stand for election as a local councillor, MP or MSP. Earn the National Minimum Wage rate for 18-21 year olds. Become liable to register and pay the Council Tax.
In the UK, parental responsibility will usually end once the child turns 18, but it could also happen earlier, if: The child gets married between the ages of 16 and 18. There's an adoption order that overrides the birth parents' responsibilities.
Once a young person reaches 16 they can leave home or their parents can ask them to move out. However, parents are responsible for their children's wellbeing until they turn 18 - and they'll likely need support (anchor link). You can read about parental responsibility in more detail on GOV.UK.
At what age can a child decide? In law, there is no fixed age that determines when a child can express a preference as to where they want to live. However, legally, a child cannot decide who they want to live with until they are 16 years old.
There is no minimum legal age requirement for a person to be able to babysit. A parent should choose a babysitter who is over the age of 16; if you wish to consider someone under the age of 16, you should carefully assess the babysitter.
It's the age that the law has decided that teenagers are mature enough to make their own decisions. It's designed to prevent children and those in their early teens from being abused by older people. If it's illegal to have sex under the age of 16, then you can potentially be prosecuted if you don't obey the law.
If the sex is consensual (and it must be enthusiastic consent) and the other party is also aged 16 years or over it is not against the law, although there are some exceptions: If the person is very drunk or under the influence of drugs, they may not have the capacity to consent so having sex with them is an offence.
If the adult doesn't reasonably believe the person is 16 or over (for example the person states they are under 16) then this is a criminal offence. If someone you are communicating with online states that they are under 16, you are committing an offence, even if you do not believe they really are under 16.