When do you truly become an adult? When you turn 18? When you are old enough to drive? Or when you can fully comprehend and understand your decisions on your own. There are many beliefs based around the transition from childhood to adulthood. Some are set around religious belief, whereas others are influenced by scientific research or evidence. There are rituals all around the world to celebrate a child's coming of age, but when exactly is that?
It's my belief that a child reaches adulthood when he/she is considered an adult by law, or has reached the Age of Majority. The Age of Majority is when “The threshold of adulthood is conceptualized, or confirmed, by law.” (Age of Majority, WORLDlawdirect.com) This
“ Age of Majority” varies depending on where in the world you are looking at. For instance, the Age of Majority in Afghanistan is 18, but the age of majority in Kyrgyzstan is 16. Although the Age of Majority is not the only way a child is considered an adult, it is certainly one of the most common.
Another common method of determining an appropriate adulthood age is the Age of Consent, or the age in which a person’s consent to sexual intercourse is validated by law. This age also varies depending on location, although some countries have a much lower age than others. Many women in different regions of the globe are forced into arranged marriages, or sold off for profit like property, when they reach the Age of Consent. This can be a problematic issue with other parts of the world, which is why this may not be a very suitable method of judgement.
When it comes down to it, the age at which a child is considered an adult is mostly based around the location of the world you are considering. The age in Canada may be considerably different compared to the age in Brazil. Because the results are all so different, there is no clear answer to the question of when kids become adults. And since every child is different in their own way, there probably never will be.