Should persons age 14 years and up be tried as adults?

Question

I am writing an argumentative paper for my english comp class and this is the topic thatwas assigned? I believve that they should. These people know the difference between right and wrong, are able to make knowledgeable decisions, and if they so choose to make theses decisions should be able to face the appropriate consequences. However, to write an effective paper, I would like to get others opinions on this. Do you agree or disagree with me? Please explain either way. Thank you for your help!

Answer 1

i think so. if the minor understood what they were doing and knew what the outcome would be then yes they should be tried as adults. there areway to many young people out killing each other and know they can get away with it, because they will go to juvie and be out when they are 18. i say lock them up with the adults so they can truly learn a lesson.

Answer 2

I disagree.
The impulse centers of the brain are not fully formed. until they are fully formed people tend to act faster than they think. they also have cognitive immaturity- and don't/can't think about how they will be effected later on (like years later). it also depends what stage of moral development they are in. If they are in the conventional stage they could be motivated to do things just to gain social approval-this shows both the social influences on these kids and there lack of mental maturity and growth.

these ages are not stable. how someone is at 14 says nothing of how they will be at 30. people can undergo complete and dramatic changes between adolesance and adulthood. the only way these people will not change is if they revieve no help (remember the purpose of jail, especially juvi hall, is rehibiltation) or have a mental defect (children under the age of 18 can't be diagonsed by law with certain disorders).

there is also the question of motivation- if there current motivation is 'being cool' or getting attention, they aren't the problem it's their beliefs that need to be changed.
some kids from neglectful or permissive homes misbehave/break the law just to have their parents react to them. other kids have small problem and in an attempt to fix it creat a larger one
(ex: they stole alcohol and got caught, now they attack the person who caught them so they don't have a small consequence. now they have assult added to a petty theft charge that may have been dropped in the first place)

it's also important to remember the reverse argument- kids can't smoke, drink, gamble, quit school, drive, ect because they are too immature. but we hold them responcible for their crimes as adults. something isn't right with that way of thinking. either children are children or they are adults. we can't have it both ways

Answer 3

They just became teenagers a year ago! Sure, maybe some are as mature (or more mature) than adults, but more aren't ready to be considered as adults. Stick with young adult and wait until 18 to be an adult, that's a little bit more reasonable.

Also, do fourteen year olds know how to mortgage a home? Get auto insurance? Do they have good finance skills, know how to pay taxes, are experienced in the stock market? These need to be taken into a consideration also. It's not just right from wrong.

Answer 4

Our emotional response to horrific crimes committed by young people is to try them as adults. But you should take a look at the psychology of this age group before rushing to a conclusion.

In adults, one area of the brain reacts emotionally to situtations - that gives us bursts of anger, joy, love and passion. But another area deals with logic - this looks in a more dispassionate way at issues, allowing us to temper our emotional response with reason. The logic center is not fully developed until about age 16 to 18.

In a 14 year old, most reasoning goes on in the emotional centers. It's harder for the adolescent to separate out pure anger from a reasoned response to a situation, or to temper their emotional reaction with logic.

So in crimes that are heat of the moment, and a reaction to a situation, it would be reasonable to try them as children - they lack the capacity to control their reaction or reason logically to balance their emotional response. However, where the evidence shows planning and fore-thought, and the crime was not simply an emotional reaction to a situation, then yes, I'd say try them as adults.

Answer 5

Anyone who supports adult punishments for children while arguing that children haven't the capacity to make informed decisions regarding non-crime related issues (living arrangements, sex, medical issues, etc.) is nothing more than a twisted hypocrite who derives some sick, vicarious thrill from the punishment of others whether that punishment is justified or not.

Answer 6

There are tests implemented to determine if they knew right from wrong when they committed the crime.

There are some kids that really don't know right from wrong, either they have lived sheltered lives, or they have lived lives that have made them old before their time. It also depends on the crime. More violent crimes, yes, drug related crimes, no, give them a chance. Theft is about half and half on the scale.

Answer 7

I think it should be 12 and up. I don't know about anyone else, but I sure the hell knew right from wrong at age 12. I knew murder was wrong from a much earlier age than that? Unless we are are now raising imbeciles, I think 14 and up, to be tried as an adult is okay by me.

Answer 8

Yes! Even 12 year olds have killed, rob,raped. tring them as adults is the far way" What you should be asking is do you think a jury of kids could send a kid to jail or death roll for a crime done by adult? good luck with your paper!

Answer 9

I disagree because if a fourteen year old is not considered mature enough to give other forms of legal consent (ie voting, drinking, etc), then we shouldn't reasonably expect him or her to have the same degree of understanding of the implications of their criminal actions.

Answer 10

I believe any age should be tried as an adult if convicted of murder! You know other countries have child armies that kill!