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My personal feeling is that young venomous keepers who have the full support of their parents should be encouraged. As someone who regularly snuck sidewinders in mayonnaise jars under my bed as a little girl, I can testify that you cannot keep venomous snakes out of the hands of any kid who lives anywhere near them and really wants them. Try to take one snake away and they'll go out to the woodpile and catch another, and hide it better this time.
You can try to make sure that they are keeping with the knowledge and support of their parents, using secure housing and appropriate tools. You can encourage them to keep non lethal species and to get a lot of experience with nonvenomous snakes first. You can't totally stop them or deny them, and if you try, it's likely to have bad consequences (like sidewinders in jars under beds).
Another thing you can't do is to tell parents how to raise their kids. If this kid's parents say yes, you may keep a copperhead, it isn't my place to say that they can't give that permission to their own child. Again, all you can do is educate and encourage good safety standards. "Just say no" is a philosophy that doesn't work in the real world.
Yes, learning from other keepers is a good idea. It's not always possible or feasible, but it's a good idea. I am glad to help and educate young herpers and their parents together. I would not let a minor anywhere near my collection unsupervised, but with their parents or legal guardians they are welcome.
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