Joseph Campbell famously discussed the process of coming of age, and the need for rites of passage to help youths transition from childhood into adulthood in The Power of Myth, a transcribed interview between Campbell and Bill Moyers of PBS. Campbell talked about how myths, be they religious (as with Jewish bar and bat mitzvahs at 12 to 13, and Christian confirmation from about 12 to 15) or secular rites (quinceañera at 15, sweet 16 and drivers licenses at 16, and even gang membership from around 12 to 18 years of age), all aim to give the
voung person a sense of transition into the world of adult responsibities and indebendence.
But notably, the timetable for the transition into adulthood is neither concrete nor consistent for all groups or individuals. For instance, the religious coming of age celebrations are usually around 12 to 13, but the secular rites are often a little later, around 15 to 16. States also have myriad laws when it comes to age of consent?, marriage, and legal capacity to enter into contracts*. These laws provide a slow evolution to legal adulthood, granting partial rights that will become full (or at least fuller) once the youth turns 18 (a few minor rights are still withheld until 21, such as the age to buy alcohol or to consume marijuana in states where it has been
legalizea.
Given that there are different approaches to a minors ability to consent to participate in significant, potentially life-altering behaviors, some ask whether these pre-adulthood rights should necessarily be tied to other legal rights that a minor may need to exercise, particularly as relate to medical treatment. In many states, minors may visit a gynecologist or family physician to obtain birth control, abortion care, or to treat sexually transmitted diseases without a parent consenting or being present. However, in other states, despite youths being allowed to marry under the age of 18, they nevertheless cannot see a gynecologist or other sexual healthcare
provider without the consent of a parent or guardian.
Similarly, many states have allowed minors to obtain vaccines against deadly diseases without parental consent, particularly in light of the public health needs of society, as well as the
potential for serious, even debilitating diseases if vaccines are not administered. As vaccines and abortions become increasingly controversial, many minors are seeking medical care without the permission or even expressly against the wishes of their parents. In many states, minors can obtain birth control without parental consent, and a recent piece of legislation in California may
See Campbell and Moyers, The Power of Myth, Betty Sue Flowers, Editor, Anchor Books, a Division of Random House, Inc., July 1991.
2 Statutory Rape: A Guide to State Laws and Reporting Requirements. Office of the Assistant Secretarv for
Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Dec. 14. 2004
https://aspe.nns.gov/reports/statutory-rape-guide-state-laws-reporung-requirements-1#:~:text=In%20the%20majority%2001%20states,and%2011%20states%2C%20respectively).
3 Marriage Age in the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage
:text=With%20parental%20consent%2C%20a
+ Legal Ages Laws, law.jrank
Sum. Richard. Who Lacks the Capacity to
egal-Ages.html; last accessed Sept. 5, 2022;
Association
Professional Ethics 2022
allow children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 without needing their parents permission.
With the proliteration of anti-vaccination movement, critics of these new vaccine rights laws worry that the legislation may allow children to make decisions they do not fully understand.
For instance, many in the anti-vaccination movement hold serious concerns about the potential long-term impacts of new vaccines, which have yet to be tested for long-term impacts to health that may not be known for years or even decades.
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