Just because a kid is sitting in the left seat doesn't mean much of anything. Legal responsibility lies with the certificated safety pilot...who is pilot in command. You cannot log solo time or pilot in command time until you are 16.
And that is only after receiving required instruction and being signed off to solo by a CFI. Even then your first solos are limited to the airport traffic pattern and supervised from the ground. The press makes it sound like a bunch of kids are out flying airplanes around which is utter nonsense.