The function of a growth plate is to determine the size of the bone. Weight lifting should be avoided in early age because it may effect your height growth. From this perspective skiing or climbing trees are just as dangerous activities as weight lifting. Improper techniques can lead to injuries ranging from mild to severe. Yes it is clinically proven that weightlifting can affect your height and possibly stunt your growth. Both height and individual proportions affect how much you can lift.
When a child is able to lift heavier weight due to strength training it is usually due to increased muscular performance rather than an increase in the size of muscle he explains. Some 85 of growth plate injuries will heal with no lasting effects. Growth plates are found at the ends of the bones in children and adolescents. The width of your frame will also have an effect on your ability to perform certain lifts. It will either stop growing or it will grow incorrectly and get more or less crooked. Im 17 going on 18 in october.
There is nothing wrong with visiting a gym regularly however. The remaining 15 will cause deformities in the affected bone. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program. However unless you actually drop a weight on your growth plate weightlifting will not impair your growth. A taller lifter may be better at certain lifts while a shorter lifter may be better at other lifts. You should do some stretching exercises it may help to increase your height.