Why do you think that juveniles shouldn't be punished as adults when charged with serious crimes?

Question

I am doing a debate please help!

Answer 1

When a person is charged with a crime, there are 2 elements that need to be proven. Mens rea - intention to commit the crime [guilty mind], and Actus Rea - the act of commiting the crime. Thus, Juvenilles are often given lighter sentences for 2 reasons.

1. Young people often dont have the fully maturity of the mind to understand the consequences as much as adults, and thus are treated liniently by the law in contrast to adults because of the Mens Rea element. [Same reason why children under 10 cant be charged with crimes - because they are deemed not to have da maturity to formulate decisions]

2. Those who get punished for serious crimes [indictable offences] are almost always sent to prison. Prison is a 'university of crime', and people usually just meet more criminals, and learn more about crime from them. This is why the recidivism rate for those who have been in prison is about 80%. In prison, there is seldom any rehabilitation program, and people who go in just come out as worsened criminals waiting to re offend. Thus, we don't want out younger generation to be in and out of the prison through their whole life, starting at such a young age. This is a loss to community for the taxes we pay to keep them in, the crimes they commit which harms society when they come out to reoffend, and also the loss of a potential contributer to the economy. Of course there are other losses such as the person to themself, their family's finance and emotional states etc. That's why its often wiser to keep juvenile offenders out of prison and send them to rehab programs such as drug rehab or councelling. This gives them a chance in society to reintegrate and not spend their whole life in and out of jail.

Answer 2

I think they should. These days kids are more safisticated and have more "street" savy when it comes to committing crimes. Yeah, not ALL kids do but compared to 15 years ago, its a different ball game. If you don't think so, visit your local Jr High, High school or juvenile detention facility. "Kids" are commiting more and more voilent crimes. Just six months ago, a guy and his two friends are walking to a local market on a payday. While enroute, a "kid" 16 yrs old, is standing with his "kid" friends, whome all involved in a street gang. Well, the one kid decides to prove himself to his fellow gang banging friends to trys to rob one of the guys walking to the market. One of the friends trys to help his friend from being robbed and the "kid" doing the robbing syas not one word and shoots the defending friend one time in head killing him.

No you tell me if that victim was your family member, you would say "he doesn't deserve life in prison, he is just a kid!" I know that this is a murder senerio and those are far and few inbetween but there are so many home invasion robberies, car jackings, robberies, and buglaries commited by"kids" where do you draw the line. I was a kid as we ALL were. I didn't commit those crime. My friends didn't commit those crimes. You didn't commit those crimes. Why, becuase at that "young" age, we ALL knew who wrong it was. these days kids tak advantage of that. The older thugs take advantage of that. They have the young kids commit the crimes for them KNOWNING they will not get punished as much had they done it.

So when i hear people whining about how kids are not old enough to know what they are doing, those people never have been a victim of a violent crime commited by a "kid"

Look at all the prisoners in prison. ask them how many of them started commiting crimes when they became adults! I bet VERY VERY few. I also bet had they been punished to the max for their crimes as kids, smoe not all would have most likely not pursued the life of crime.

Answer 3

I DISAGREE.
JUVENILES TODAY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH MURDER. JUST LAST WEEK THE COURTS HERE VOTED 86 TO 1 NOT TO GIVE A JUVENILE THE DEATH PENALTY. WHY. NOW THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN BE A GANG MEMBER AND GET A LIFE SENTENCE FOR A KILLING.THEN APPEAL IT IN 5 YEARS AND SAY I WAS A JUVENILE I DID NOT HAVE THE RATIONAL THOUGHT PROCESS THAT I DO NOW??

PARDON ME BUT I HAVE SEEN THE CRIMINAL POPULATION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS (2) INSIDE THE PRISON GO FROM SEMI CORRIGABLE TO TOTAL WACKY. THE YOUNGSTERS COME TO PRISON FEEL THIS IS A BIG STEP IN THEIR LIVES. YOU TELL TO DRESS CORRECTLY AND THEY WANT TO FIGHT(PULL UP PANTS, NO DO WA RAGS, NO UNBUTTONED SHIRTS, NO GANG SIGNS ON CLOTHES)
THEY EVEN ARE SO STUPID AS TO GO AFTER THE OLD TIMERS FOR CONFORMING TO THE RULES.

IF YOU COMMIT AN ADULT CRIME, YOU SHOULD BE TRIED AS AN ADULT.

Answer 4

You should do some research on impulsivity control in children vs. adults. For the most part, youngsters are more impulsive and have a different way of thinking. Young people also have more potential to be rehabilitated than adults.

Answer 5

I think the typical argument is two-fold. First, juveniles don't have the life experience to understand properly the consequences of their actions. Second, everyone makes mistakes, and it would be a real shame to have your entire life taken over by a few mistakes made in your youth. -yk

Answer 6

because by definition, they are not adults. How can society make an arbitrary age for people to become adults. These people have none of the benefits of being an adult, yet have to suffer consequences of an adult? Does that make any sense?

Answer 7

depends on the kids age...10-12 shouldnt be anything over that age should be..10-12 still the parents fault to a large degree and the parent should be held accountable..after 13 you kinda dont have as much control over them

Answer 8

Because they are not adults yet simple.

Answer 9

I think that they should be, sorry.