What do you think? Should young children be allowed to be emancipated (or legally declared adults)?

Question

Facts and opinions are more than welcome! THANKS!

Answer 1

Just what an already overloaded court system needs; a bunch of babies crying because mommie made them clean up their rooms. There is a system in place; it seems to be working in the few cases where a need seems to exist.

Let's leave it as it stands with limited emancipation

Answer 2

I have an Aunt who simply couldnt get a grip on her teen daughter. her daughter was wild and in trouble all the time, she even ended up in a house for a year.

My Aunt tried to have her emancipated when she was 16, but the court didnt allow it, so my Aunt continued to pay for her daughters mistakes.

This is only one example of so many cases that happen.

when a parent cant control thier child they should be emancipated, or put in a home until 18, at which point emancipation should be automatic.

I also feel that any child 16 and older that leaves thier parents house should also be emancipated.

However when you have no issues with your children, and when your able to take care of them then thier is no need to emancipate them. Sadly thier are kids that can not be controlled and some one has to step in, and thier are parents that simply dont do thier job and get thier children right.

I personally wouldnt emancipate my children, if they gone wild I would set them stright. My children also have alot of support and so do I, not many have what we have in this day and age.

I'm not sure why you have asked this question, but God Bless you in what ever reason you have.

Answer 3

It depends on what your definition of "young children" would be. In most cases, it would be "no" as they would not be able to provide for themselves financially, complete their education or have the wisdom to properly care for themselves and be responsible with their finances.

That is why that the Courts take emancipation on a case-by-case basis to hear all the facts in the matter as to the minor's maturity and ability to support themselves financially or with proper assistance.

A good movie to watch pertaining to this subject with you can catch on the Lifetime channel or may be able to rent on DVD at your local video store, is "Gracie's Choice", which is based on a true story where a 17 year old girl successfully emancipates herself and gains custody of her siblings over her alcoholic, irresponsible, mother.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395565/

Answer 4

if young children means up to the age of eight then no but in some countries like Ireland you are accountable for crimes above the age of 7.That's a bit young but here in Hungary we do have a bunch of 12 year old little criminals that our laws can't do anything with.
Anyway the point is that as soon as someone is lod enough to be held accountable by the law he should also have a right to decide in important things about his own life.Like medical things or which parent to live with.

Answer 5

Mostly no. Perhaps there could be some kind of test to determine if a child is able to handle himself/herself as an adult. Mostly a child is protected by not being considered an adult. They cannot be held responsible for entering into contracts, etc.

Answer 6

I was at 17. My mother died when I was 16..me and 3 of my brothers were put in foster homes. I was so thankful the judge heard my case and set me free. Free from foster care. I worked and went to school...I paid my rent ..my own bills..I didn't have a Daddy to help me.

Answer 7

I can't say as a whole, only on a case by case basis. And exactly how 'young' do you mean?

Answer 8

I think that once you turn 16 you should be able decide for yourself whether or not you want move out on your own. i wanted to move out when i was 16 an d was told that there realy isnt such athing as immancipation because it is illigal because you are still a minor. either way your parents are responcible for you until you are 21.

Answer 9

it depends on the family situation... if parents are abusive they could be emancipated but they still cant live on their own.
i mean a 14 year old is way too young! how can they hold their own?? they arent adults. they (hopefully) havent even experienced adult situations yet.
be for real people..
im 19 and i cant even hold my own yet...im not ashamed either
my dads puttin me through college so i can get a good job.

Answer 10

I grew up in a horribly abusive environment. Both my parents had been raised in institutions and had no idea what it meant to love another person. Everybody in my family fought with everybody else in my family all day, every day. I ran away from home numerous times, only to be dragged back by the police. I did horrible things like throwing the TV through the front window. (There was never any peace and quiet so study was impossible and I desperately hoped I'd be sent to Juvenile Hall so I could get away from my family.) When I was 12, I rode my bicycle 20 miles and presented myself to a local municipal judge, asking to "divorce" my parents. He had the cops drag me back home in handcuffs and my father beat me three seperate times on three consecutive days as punishment. Then my mother discovered the Pentacostal church and effectively abandoned her family, living only to get high on Jesus. A few years later she was confined to a state mental hospital, as a schizophrenic who had nearly continuous visual and audio hallucinations. My father's only goal in life seemed to be to teach me proper respect for all forms of authority. He beat me nearly everyday, with a belt or paddle, until I was 18 and strong enough to turn on him. I beat him down with a mini-baseball bat until he was bloody and unconscious. After that, he never touched me again. I started smoking marijuana when I was 15 or so because getting high was the only way to survive in my parent's household. Being stoned allowed me to not react to my parents constant taunts and torments. I'm so happy I discovered weed when I did because, without it I would surely have murdered both my parents. When I turned 18, I was finally old enough to get a job without my father's signature on a work permit. I worked hard and was a very motivated saver, quickly accumulating $2,500 back when that was a lot of money. My plan was to leave the state and get as far away from my parents as possible. Unfortunately, my father opened my mail and discovered my escape fund. He went to the bank and by forging my signature was able to steal my money. His rationale was that he'd brought me into this world and paid my way. He was entitled to everything I earned and he beat me for hiding my money in the bank.

I eventually escaped, financed by selling drugs to my friends, and moved to a different county. I was under the care of three different psychiatrists until I was nearly 30. I did manage to get a College education, no thanks to my family. I married a woman who'd been abused by her family and we both chose to never have children so we could break the cycle of violence. We both knew we'd make very poor parents and didn't want our own children hating us the way we hate our parents. All this went down over fifty years ago and not a day goes by when I fail to remember how much I hate my parents. Those idiots ruined my life!

Now I ask you, should desperate children be able to escape from their parents, or should parents own their own children as literal slaves, as chattle property? I know my life would've been much better without my parents evil negative influences and I understood that when I was just twelve years old. Kids are much smarter that most adults give them credit for...............