Definitions for "Adolescents"
The World Health Organization defines adolescents as individuals between 10 and 19 years of age. The broader term "youth" encompasses the 15- to 24-year-old age group.
An accepted dictionary definition of an adolescent is a person between childhood and adulthood. The NZFVC glossary defines adolescents as people 14 to 17 years of age. Under New Zealand law an adolescent is considered a child (see Children), but can be dealt with in the Youth Court (14, 15 or 16 years of age). The NZFVC definition extends to people up to 18 years of age for consistency with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) definition. Items linked to this NZFVC Topic Area aim to cover family violence as it specifically affects adolescents as defined above.
See Teenagers; Youth