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62 Rights and wrongs
1
SPEAKING
Discuss the questions. Then
read the text and check at what age
people in Britian can do these things.
1
In your country, at what age can you do
the things in the photos?
2
Which of these things can you do now?
Which of the things would you like to do?
2
Read the text again. Which paragraph A–F mentions
the things in 1–7? There is one thing that you do not
need.
1
The age of criminal responsibility.
2
The kind of part-time jobs young teenagers often do
in the UK.
3
The age British teenagers have to be to drive a car.
4
The rights of a child if they break the law.
5
The impact of adults’ decisions on children.
6
The move from being a child to an adult.
7
Voting rights.
v
Synonyms: the law
insight
3
Study the highlighted adjectives in the text. Then
replace the adjectives in italics in sentences 1–6 with
the correct words.
1
Many laws are
limiting
for teenagers and don’t give
them enough freedom.
2
School uniforms are
compulsory
in a lot of schools in
the UK, but many students would prefer to choose
what they wear.
3
According to law, every person has the right to a
just
trial, no matter what they’ve done.
4
Some people in England say that it should be
illegal
for teenagers to use tanning beds.
5
Wearing seat belts in the back seat of a car is
voluntary
in many countries, so people can decide if
they want to do it or not.
6
In USA, teenagers under 16 can‘t live on their own. Is
this
allowed (by law)
in your country?
4
SPEAKING
Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.
1
What similarities and differences are there in the laws
for the things mentioned in the text in your country?
2
What do you think an appropriate age for criminal
responsibility should be? Why?
3
Why do you think age limits are necessary?
DVD extra
UK Youth Parliament
A Some laws make sense. Others don’t. In Britain, for
example, the law states that you can get married
at the age of sixteen (with your parents’ approval),
but you may not have a tattoo.You can choose
your life partner, but not a piece of body art.
Age limits vary hugely around the world due to
different historical, political, social and cultural
factors. Here, we examine some rules, regulations
and prohibited activities in the UK and explore
where childhood ends and adulthood begins in
different areas of life.
The law
B The United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child says that children have the right to help
from a lawyer and a fair
trial that takes account of
their age or situation.
C The age of criminal responsibility is ten years old
in England,Wales and Northern Ireland and in
Scotland it is twelve. Some people believe that a
low age of responsibility acts as a deterrent and
stops young people from committing crimes.
However, there is concern about how children
between the ages of eight and twelve can fully
understand the consequences of their actions.
Recent research has shown that the age of ten is
probably too low because the part of the brain
that has to make decisions and judgements is still
developing.
D However, there is one area where teenagers’ decisions
and opinions are taken into account and that is
voting. In the UK, voting is optional and it is not a
legal duty.Teenagers do not have the right to vote
until the age of eighteen, but even then they don’t
have to vote in any election if they don’t want to.
5D
Culture, vocabulary and grammar
Young people’s rights
Coming
of age
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