So, again, we all unanimously agree that all babies are innocent, and the reason for its existence is because babies are unaware of "good" and "bad." They have no way of discerning right from wrong, and because they do not know any better, they cannot be faulted for it.
So at what point do we "know better?" At a certain point, children become aware of right from wrong, but does judgement become the determining factor with innocence? Our 3-year-old can experience blinding rage, she gets angry at others, and despite knowing it is wrong, she has been known to hit and bite.
There are some people who would argue that the emergence of such intense negative emotions is evidence that innocence is dwindling, but I digress. She is a toddler who is pushing boundaries, discovering her place in the world... There needs to be life experience as well.
I would argue that adolescence/young adulthood is the pinnacle in which innocence begins to disappear, and it is due to the act of deliberate choices. As a teenager, you now have nearly two decades of life experience to draw from. You not only recognize right from wrong, but are now expected to use your sense of judgement for any future decision-making, as opposed to others doing it for you. You have more freedom to make your own choice. It can no longer be chalked up to a mistake, of simply not knowing better...
For example, a teenager may shoplift a candy bar from a store, but unless he is starving and doesn't have sufficient funds, he has no reason to shoplift. Whether it's to impress his friends, it's the quicker, easier option, the thrill of stealing, etc., he knows that what he is doing is wrong.
But what if the person engages in nefarious activities, yet feels immense guilt while doing so? Does an active conscious still symbolize innocence? What about schizophrenic adults who cannot differentiate between right from wrong, and can even kill someone without remorse?
