Responsibility Under Constraint: A Developmental and Environmental Critique of Age-Based Accountability in Youth Justice

This paper presents a philosophical and interdisciplinary examination of age-based responsibility within contemporary youth justice systems. Drawing on lived experience as a primary qualitative case alongside research in psychology, neuroscience, and criminology, it challenges the assumption that full moral and legal accountability emerges at the age of eighteen. The analysis introduces the distinction between awareness and agency, demonstrating that individuals may recognise wrongdoing while lacking the practical capacity to act differently under conditions of environmental constraint. Particular attention is given to the interaction between instability, trauma, and neurodivergence, specifically Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and how these factors shape behavioural outcomes. The paper argues that current legal frameworks rely on fixed chronological thresholds that do not reflect developmental reality. In response, it proposes a developmentally contingent model of responsibility that incorporates environmental context, neurodevelopmental factors, and access to viable alternatives. This work forms the foundational paper within the Kre8tive Justice research framework and introduces the basis for ongoing development of pressure-based analytical models, including the Environmental and Multi-Pressure Evaluation of Development (EMPED).