[A Ruckus of Dogs]

what sort of guidelines, if any, were given to the children

A lot of these "children" were 18, like Natalee.

[kabar]

A lot of these "children" were 18, like Natalee.

Exactly. We are talking about young adults. At 18, they can vote and get a fulltime job, including joining the military. About 50% of 18 year old Americans do exactly that.