A universal definition of what it means to be a “child”

"I remember when I was young, my life used to be all about home, school and doing my homework. I did not have a chance to gain new experiences and knew nothing about the real world. Worst of all, my parents controlled every little thing in my life,” said a 22-year-old man to his psychologist. “Now, I'm a full-grown man who still cannot stand out in this world - everyone and everything is ahead of me. People assume I have the same experience they gained during their childhood, while in reality, that is not the case.”

We should raise children to be ready to face the world when they reach adulthood, which is what raising a child is all about. There are some 18-year-old individuals who are still children because of the lack of awareness and experience in life, making them incapable of taking right actions or decisions. 

Furthermore, what defines a child is not just a number, but it also depends on many factors in order to know the moment a child becomes an adult. We should also take into consideration the differences between societies when determining the age childhood ends.

In the end, you cannot give children their rights, if there is no universal agreement on the word "child". Having a real understanding of the meaning of the word is the starting point.