- Target:
- State Lesiglator
- Region:
- United States of America
The Age of majority (18 yrs old in NY State):
The Age of majority is the threshold of adulthood as it is conceptualized in law. It is the chronological moment when children legally assume majority control over their persons and their actions and decisions, thereby terminating the legal control and legal responsibilities of their parents over and for them.
A status offense is behavior that is unlawful for children, even though the same behavior is legal for adults. What transforms the conduct into a public offense is the age of the actor. The most common status offenses are truancy, running away from home, incorrigibility (disobeying parents), truancy, curfew violations, and alcohol possession by minors.
There is wide public and professional disagreement about the proper role of the juvenile courts in status offense cases. On one side of the debate
are children’s advocates and youth service providers who argue that status offenders should receive treatment for family problems and that criminal
justice sanctions, particularly incarceration, are not appropriate.
On the other side are frustrated parents who want the juvenile court to discipline defiant children, law enforcement officers who want to be able to detain truants and runaways, and juvenile court judges who want incarceration as a sanction to enforce their court orders.
Legal Age of Consent for Sexual Contact:
The New York legal Age of Consent for sexual contact is 17 years old.
We, the undersigned, call on the State Legislator, The State Senate, and The United States Government to NOT change/lower the Legal Age of Majority back to 16 years old.
This law was first brought into effect in the 1960's, so that 16 and 17 yr old could be tried in family court as an adult. It did not take into consideration at all runaway's or missing children. Parents who have runaways or missing children in the State of NY have no rights to try and make their child come home. They are told by the Police that "their child is an adult and free to do what they please".
This law is long out dated and a night mare to any parent. A 16 yr old is unable to vote, get working papers, marry, join the military, rent an apartment, initiate a lawsuit, get a drivers license/learners permit, or enter into a contractual agreement without a parents consent even if they are not living at home, BUT we are still financially responsible for them until they are 25.
I am calling on you to do the right thing for parents everywhere, and show our children that we care enough to keep them safe at home where they belong until they are ready to go out into the world on their own.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Legal Age of Majority should remain at 18 years of age petition to State Lesiglator was written by Jenifer Gray and is in the category Law Reform at GoPetition.