There are many debates about whether or not juveniles should be sent to rehabilitation instead of the adult justice system. Yet, research shows that juveniles are not mature enough to be tried as adults. “Should minors be tried as adults? “Is one of the most pressing problems facing modern society.
On the one hand, Juveniles should not face adult charges since their brains are not entirely developed. It is unjust to test children on the same level as adults when they have difficulty viewing things from other people’s perspectives and predicting the future. Putting juveniles through the adult correctional system may radicalize them. For example, because their brains are still maturing, children who hang out with criminals may begin behaving like them (Agnew and Brezina, 2018). Teenagers exposed to stressful conditions before sentencing may benefit from having psychologists assist them in working through their issues.
On the contrary, juveniles older than 14 who commit serious violent crimes should be convicted and punished as adults. A teenager of fourteen understands right and wrong. He or she can tell if they are engaging in criminal activity. In order to the extent that a minor can commit an offense generally reserved for adults, they should be treated as such and subject to the full force of the law. If two individuals commit a similar crime under the same circumstances, the variation in their ages must not ascertain their prosecution.
Those who oppose the idea of juveniles being prosecuted as adults argue that if youngsters are treated as adults in the legal system, they are more likely to face situations that could endanger their lives. After charges are filed, the minor will be held in a cell with adults, putting them at risk from various threats. A much higher rate of physical abuse, sexual assault, and suicide among “juveniles jailed in adult facilities” compared to their counterparts in juvenile prison systems. The argument against trying juveniles as adults centers on worries that something similar might happen
On the contrary, youngsters may be physically smaller than adults, but they are mentally and emotionally capable of committing the same level of violent crime. Juveniles should face the same penalties as adults when they are found guilty of the same offense. Even young children have a sense of correct and wrong and recognize that murder is always a terrible thing to do. Crimes committed by youngsters should result in adult punishments (Agnew and Brezina, 2018). Since some youth assume they cannot be tried as adults, they commit vicious criminalities minus having thought first. Unfortunately, teens who break the law have not experienced good repercussions for their actions, so their erratic behavior persists.
On the one side, if young offenders are not allowed to participate in rehabilitation programs while incarcerated, they may lose hope. If they lose their faith, they could progress to more severe crimes and become much more dangerous criminals. They feel there’s no point in trying to help them because they’re hopeless. Putting someone behind bars is supposed to be a lesson for them, but sometimes punishment has unexpected results.
On the contrary, the best way to teach kids that their actions have consequences is to try them as grownups instead of sympathizing with them by saying they will lose hope. Youth crime is rising because they recognize they can get away with it in today’s lenient legal system. The crime rate and the number of repeat offenders might go down if criminals were made to suffer natural consequences for their actions(Agnew and Brezina, 2018). This measure may help prevent future massacres like those in Columbine. The tagline of the “tough on crime” crowd, “adult time for the adult crime,” says absolutely nothing about the perpetrator’s age; apart from that, it should be disregarded as irrelevant.
On the one hand, young individuals often give in to peer pressure and do things they later come to regret, compounding their likelihood of making mistakes. They may have been pressured to participate, felt pressured to participate, or just felt anger and opted to act on their anger by participating in the action. A prison term may be harsh for such a minor crime, especially given the circumstances surrounding the crime (Agnew and Brezina, 2018). Prison isn’t always ideal, but offenders should be held accountable for their actions and given a second chance.
On the contrary, in order to teach children that mistakes are punishable, they should be tried as adults. This will ensure that the children are held accountable for their conduct, so they should be cautious about their activities or the people they associate with.
In conclusion, youngsters should be tried as grownups because this will minimize adult crimes. Some younger children have the mental capacity to plan and carry out criminal acts. It indicates that the judicial system ought to consider things. The only way to account for this is by convicting young offenders as adults
References
Agnew, R., & Brezina, T. (2018). Juvenile delinquency causes and control. New York; Oxford Oxford University Press.
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