Somewhat of a Trope Talk topic, I would say.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
There is a considerable physical difference between a teenager aged 13 and another aged 16. Adolescence, because it is a transition phase between two completely different and opposite age groups, should not be treated with homogeneity.
The quote has nothing to do with the trope. It's about planning to kill kids and how it demoralizes the other side. No mention of reservations about killing kids.
So that's what this does
Is Kazran Sardic from Doctor Who a deconstruction? In the beginning, his inability to strike at children makes him angrier and meaner than if he'd just done it. At least until the Doctor starts to get through to him that accepting it is the best revenge he could have on the person who made him into a nasty old man in the first place.
Would The Borne Identity be appropriate for inclusion here? Borne, a trained government assassin, refrains from killing African warlord Wombosi, assumedly because he doesn't want to traumatize his children, who are present in the room.
Or do I have the jist of this trope wrong?
Do teenagers ever count? I know usually they won't (because there is a physical difference between a child and a teen). But say there is an adult team with one member being a teenager. The villain is absolutely ruthless to the rest of the adults but goes much easier/gently on the teen. That avoidance seems note worthy despite age difference.
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