Juvenile Crime Essay

1032 Words3 Pages

The act of participating in a crime by a minor is considered juvenile delinquency. This criminal act may be punished by many different means, designed specifically to deal with those who are under the statutory age of majority, which is the threshold of adulthood in law. However, many people argue that the severity of the juvenile prosecution system isn't high enough to order proper punishment. Therefore, juvenile offenders should be tried under adult laws. In 1899, the Juvenile Court Act was approved which established the nation's first juvenile criminal court. It was founded on three principles: young offenders are not ready to be held accountable, have not fully developed a sense of maturity, and can effectively rehabilitate. Now, anyone …show more content…

They believe that juveniles are different from adults, and the due process requirements give the juveniles a wider chance of intervention. However, permissiveness for the offenders is the least effective means to change their behavior and often have negative effects as well. The juvenile court system does not provide young offenders an adequate punishment for the severity of the crimes that were committed so that they may grasp the repercussions of their actions. Many of the worst offenders that have been acquitted in juvenile court are let back out on the streets and the chances of getting attacked are just too big of a risk. Officials should treat minor crimes in the same manner as any violation. The petty misdemeanors can soon turn into dangerous convicts and they won't be punished until it's too …show more content…

The issue of morals makes answering this question more difficult, as people are taught that the same rules for adults cannot be applied to children. The differences in their attitudes and mindset are too big to overlook. Minors are susceptible because of their lack of maturity and preparation; therefore, they can be easily influenced by others with stronger personalities. This is the main reason that why minors are perceived as being incapable of taking responsibility for their own actions and being held accountable for the consequences that follow. However, teenage struggle with reasoning and decision-making can hardly be used an excuse to commit a serious crime. This is not a matter of not seeing the right from wrong. There are laws that must be complied with and choosing not doing so is wrong, so there is no excuse for breaking the law. Even minors are clearly capable of understanding the law and their obligations to adhere to it. Juveniles are constantly being undermined by the court, and it is time to change it all. Offenders that have committed the most serious crimes should be charged accordingly and transferred to the adult courts. We have taken the first steps, it is now time to complete the process of abolishing this inefficient

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