Are young crusaders and heroes fair game for critics?

Hogg raising his fist after speaking during the March for Our Lives rally in support of gun control in Washington. Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who began speaking out for gun reform faced accusations that some were 'crisis actors' and the group was under the manipulation of gun control advocates. — AP

NEW YORK: The point where childhood ends and adulthood begins isn't as straightforward as it seems. Add the limelight and things can get complicated for young people who either voluntarily or through circumstances live very public lives.

Those public lives often come with heaping helpings of adult-size sniping. But are children and adolescents who find themselves under global microscopes still entitled to age-appropriate protection from the harshness of public discourse? And, more importantly, can they handle it?