do you think children should be charged as adults for crimes?

Question

do you think it has a psychology twist to it,
that childrens brains arent fully developed enough to understand what they are doing.

should children be charged the same but be placed in a seperate jail, thats like throwing them in with lions.

do you think they should have lesser harsh punishments, like less time, that way they can learn from thier mistakes and continue on with thier life.


anything would be helpful. its for a research paper/debate, one person takes a side, and the other person takes the other side and we debate in front of class, i have some good stuff but i would like opinions of other people as well, this is the world were living in i would like to know how everyone feels.

Answer 1

I have mixed feelings about it. A lot of it has to do with the age of the child and the crime. Like if a 14 or 15 year old murders another child, yes they should be charged as an adult. I knew killing was wrong at like 10, maybe even younger. They should be sent to juvie until they are 18 and once they are 18, transferred over to prison to serve the rest of their sentence. I'm so tired of kids doing hideous things to other kids and not getting punished for it or getting a slap on the wrist. If they realized they could ruin their lives for the wrongs they do, it might get a grip on some of the wild kids today. But like I said, it all depends on the crime and the age of the child what punishment I would want them to have, but for the most part if they are big enough to kill or endanger someone, they are big enough to pay the price.

Answer 2

I think the word' children' is what's most misleading. I don't think 15yos or 16yos are "children". I do believe that there are evil teens out there who know their wrongdoings and deserve to be severely punished.

In our local neighborhood there was an article about a 15yo that already had over 100 car robberies under his belt. Clearly something is wrong.

I also think that the whole statutory rape thing needs improvement. A 17 yo guy getting 10 years for having oral sex with a 15 yo is just absurd.

There was a question once posted here from a 15 yo girl asking how she can catch the attention of a 17yo boy. She claimed that she would do anything, including wearing revealing clothing showing off her 'assets'. Come on...!!!! There is intent there... premeditation!!!

Bottom line.... childhood = innocence. Once innocence is lost, then it's time for real life... with REAL rules and REAL consequences. Perhaps a modified penal system where the teens are in the same jail as adults, but in a different population.

Answer 3

Let the punishment fit the crime. I know it sounds harsh but at 12 and 14 years of age you should, to a large extent already know the difference between right and wrong. Look at the murders that take place in schools. The perpetrators in most cases carried out premeditated crimes. Carrying a knife to school is a premeditated action.

Unfortunately in our modern society youngsters are being desensitized through the media. Parental guidance is lacking ... option; book the parents for their crimes. That will stir the hornets nest.

As I understand it jails for youths are as bad as adult facilities. The dregs of society can be found there and being impressionable youths can learn some really bad stuff. Many are only out for a short while.

One can go on forever but this is such a complex issue that one could write a book on it.

Answer 4

I truly believe that a child should be charged as an adult for a crime depending on the crime.... Its ridiculous how we as people put so much into whether or not a child should or shouldn't be charged as an adult.

Depending on the crime and their rap sheet I believe that a child should have the same punishment and receive therapy and rehabilitation during the sentence and then continue on with there life. If they receive a slap on the wrist are they truly going to be able to acknowledge the severity of their crime , be able to be rehabilitated and function in society?

There is so much crime and hate in our country... Its sad. As a JPO I would see so much of today's youth just throw their lives away. In and out of the juvey system... They would get discharge from a 3 month program and be back with in a month. Some of the crimes were minor but some of them were also disturbing... If you release a child back into the same environment they were in without proper rehabilitation, and therapy they will not be able to over come their destructive behavior.

Answer 5

It depends on the age of the offender and the crime. If a 13 - 17 year old goes out and slaughters a family, I think that he/she should be tried as an adult. If a 13 - 17 year old gets busted with a bag of weed, he/she should be tried as a juvenile. These are just examples. There are going to be special circumstances in every situation.

Answer 6

honestly it depends on the crime. suppose it was brutal murder? remember the tragedy in britain about 10 years ago?2 young boys, about 10 yrs old, kidnapped and murdered a 2 year old baby, James Berger. it was the saddest story i've ever heard. the boys had never been abused or had any kind of tramatic incidence happen, so what now? they moved the boys to another country, changed their names, and had them go through strenuous councelling, and they had to be put on trial. they are out now. it was terrible. i don't think they realize the things they do sometimes, and that there are consequences. not that young, anyways. it's sad, but you can't let them live a normal life after that, they are a danger to themselves and everyone else. it's tough, and you really need more information about the kids and what they did to answer this question.

Answer 7

When a juvenile rapes, murders, or commits a violent crime...you can't say they aren't mentally developed enough to NOT comprehend their illegal activity.

The increasing incidence and severity of juvenile crime have led many to question the efficacy of the juvenile court system and to call for a harsher response to juvenile crime. Juvenile delinquency that results in more serious offenses has come to be viewed as more a criminal problem than a behavioral problem, resulting in a substantial shift in public response to the management, rather than treatment, of juvenile offenders. This shift is evident in increasing arrest rates, longer periods of incarceration, fewer opportunities for rehabilitation, and, most significantly, increases in the number of juveniles transferred to the adult criminal justice system (Sickmund et al., 1997).

Pockets of society have changed in that violent crime by juvenile offenders has increased due to the lack of judicial ramifications.

We've become so worried about punishment that we no longer can address bad behavior for fear of parental incarceration.

Just my opinion...but the cheeks of the butt are perfect for a good ol' country styled butt whoop'n when behavior is out of line!

Answer 8

You can't tell me that a kid who takes a gun to kill someone doesn't understand what he or she is doing. They may not understand the ramifications or the impact that their act has on their life and others' lives, but some people never do. If a child commits a crime, they should be convicted and sentenced to a jail for young people.

Answer 9

I think was a person becomes a teenager they should be tried as such. there is no way a human cannot understand that stealing or killing is wrong. Children do these things b/c they know that they will not be severly punished. the more we cover up our mistakes, the more room there is for violence to occur.

Answer 10

I believe that if the child knows that it was wrong, but did it anyway, then yes, they should be tried as an adult. They made an adult decision, for example, to pick up that knife and stab the other boy for "disrespecting" him. Yes, the 14 year old girl should be tried as an adult for assulting the other girl that's with "her man". Yes, the 16 year old, who purposly ran a red light to "try to make it" but slammed into a car with a mother and her infant, should be tried as an adult for manslaughter. But know, you don't try a 5 year old for shop lifting. If you know it is wrong and you have the capability to distinguish with what you are doing, and you make that adult decision anyway, then in my eyes, you're an adult.