Children's rights and children's criminal responsibility

Does the recognition of children as legal subjects rather than objects of concern mean that arguments that the minimum age of criminal responsibility should be raised are misplaced? Against the backdrop of our current understanding of children’s development, Michael Freeman’s theory of liberal paternalism and international conventions this chapter explores, what is the appropriate yardstick by which to determine the fundamental question of how we treat children who do wrong. While doing full justice to this question would require an examination the entirety of the youth justice system, the chapter concentrate upon the age at which we hold children responsible with one apparent but important diversion into the issue of anti-social behaviour.