Legal Concepts of Childhood

This insightful legal analysis examines how society's understanding of childhood evolves through its interactions with the legal system, tracing how legal frameworks both reflect and shape our cultural concepts of what it means to be a child. Fionda explores the shifting boundaries between childhood and adulthood within courtrooms, legislation, and policy decisions, revealing how these legal definitions directly impact children's rights and treatment. The book demonstrates that childhood isn't a fixed biological stage but a socially constructed category that changes dramatically depending on legal context and historical period.

What makes this work particularly compelling is its examination of the contradictions in how legal systems perceive children—sometimes as vulnerable beings needing protection, other times as autonomous agents responsible for their actions. Teen readers navigating their own legal rights and societal expectations will find this exploration of how adulthood is legally defined both relevant and thought-provoking. The book ultimately challenges readers to reconsider fundamental assumptions about childhood capacity and agency within the justice system.