Do you think that juveniles (under 18) should be tried as adults?

Question

For the crimes they commit, serious crimes like rape, shooting, murder, burglary

Answer 1

If they are serious crimes as you mentioned, yes. There was a family I grew up with and called them my mother, father, and siblings. I had no siblings of my own so was especially close with all the children. Three of the four children have dissociative identity disorder (otherwise known as multiple personalities) and my younger brother didn't take his medication for it. One month to the day before his 15th birthday he stabbed our mother to death, 12 times so they couldn't even have an open casket funeral for her, and was tried as an adult. He was only 14 but was fully aware not of what he was doing, but that he had D.I.D. and chose not to take his medication. He is in a mental hospital for life and none of us have went to see him, nor do we plan on it. We saw him in court that was it. It happened back in 2001 and though we are all literally in different places now, leading different lives, every single mother's day at noon we meet at mom's grave to talk about the good times. I'm glad he was tried as an adult because had he gotten a slap on the wrist he would have been reoffending in no time, like the molester I fought in court for 10 months who was charged for crimes against two little girls less than a year later. Teenagers don't think of consequences when it comes to things like sex, but when it comes to consciously committing a crime, they know d*mn well what they're doing. Sorry this was so long winded.

Answer 2

definalty, rape and murder are the same wether it be commited by a 14 yr old or a 40 yr old...if they were treated as kids, the most they can me sentanced in most cases is till their 21st bday, then they are free to commited such violence again...it is not like these kinds of grime are accidental, they are purposly done with violence, and sorry even my son who is 7 can tell the diff, from right and wrong, and can tell you that it is bad to hurt somebody..there is no excuse for these types of crimes for anyone no matter what age. to be perfectly honest the thought of a child commiting these acts is a million more times scary than the thought of an adult doing the same things. and children can be souless, pathalogical, pyscopaths the same as adults can., but this is jsut my opinion.

Answer 3

Personally today children grow up and mature quite young, If tried as an adult and treated as an adult then I think it would just help increase the exposure of children to crime, where better to learn how to rob a bank than to spend 5 years living with criminals. No we need to address the issue by taking the children and developing them giving them a goal and a pour pus in life show them that they dint need to comit crimes to be someone.

Answer 4

Absolutely. Excluding circumstances where the alleged offeder has a valid medical exscuse, most teens know the difference between right and wrong.

Of course, there is the saying don't do the crime if you can't do the time. I agree with that.

Answer 5

No, I think if we are going to use a double standard, as in they can't drink, smoke, go to war until they are adults, they can't be tried as adults either. They should be incarcerated until the age of 18, and then they should be re-evaluated after having received help throughout the years in prison, and I don't mean going to some quack, but being shown that their way of life, is not the right way, and how to become a human being, with interests and things to do outside of their crazy minds. After re-evaluation, they should be introduced slowly back into society, not just thrown out the door, they need to know how to live as an adult, and shown how to make a living, and become an asset to themselves as well as the people around them. They aren't adults, therefore they should not be tried as one.

Answer 6

No, legally you are not an adult until you are 18. So why not use that same law when crimes are comitted by juveniles. No child or teen under the age of 18 should be tried as an adult!

Answer 7

Depending on the serverity of the crime yes. For instance that shooter who sniped people in the D.C. area, should be tried as an adult.

Answer 8

I think it "really" depends on the crime. This is some what of a tough Q but like I said it depends on how serious the crime is.

Answer 9

In some (many) cases yes. On burglary I wouldn't necessarily think so. Again, it depends on the circumstances.

Answer 10

Absolutely! They should be tried and convicted as adults. They are committing adult crimes, they should suffer adult consequences!