Why Juveniles Commit A Crime

Juveniles are being treated as adults when it comes to crimes, and are receiving higher sentences than adults. Furthermore, juveniles do not fully understand the consequences of their actions. Juvenile’s brains are not fully developed and experience loss in gray matter. According to the article Startling Find on Teenage Brains by Paul Thompson, he states, “gray matter, which brain researchers believe supports all of our thinking and emotions, is purged at a rate of 1 percent to 2 percent a year during this period” (Thompson). Gray matter makes up of people’s critical thinking and awareness. Juveniles are losing gray matter and are therefore forgetting the consequences of their actions. In addition, juveniles are coddled way too much by their parents and grow up without any discipline. Why is it that juveniles are segregated from adults in society in every aspect except when it comes to crimes? Juveniles do not deserve to be tried as adults when they commit heinous crimes because it is not constitutionally correct and

Considering the behaviors of an adolescent in the same manner as that of an adult is unfair. Juvenile brains are still developing, which means that they perform differently than adult brains (AACAP). Adolescents are more likely to act on impulse, get involved in fights, and engage in risky or dangerous behavior. They are less likely to think before they act or consider the consequences of their actions (AACAP). Weighing this scientific fact, it is unfair to assume that a juvenile committed a delinquent act with the same forethought of an adult. The mental development of a juvenile makes it difficult to prove that they established the mens rea equal to that of an adult guilty of the same offense.

Between the years 1988 and 1992 the amount of crimes that have been committed and went from 18 to 68 percent in the United States. Also, between the years 1983 to 1993 the amount of youths under eighteen years old arrested for murder and weapons violations has doubled in the United States. In the article, it states, “ Most experts blame the increase on two things: guns and drugs. Guns are now readily available, and kids involved in selling drugs are much more likely to use guns than they were ten years ago, say police” ( John, 1). This quote is important because the easier it is to get guns and drugs, the easier it will be for people for under the age of eighteen to commit a serious crime. Also, it states in the article that kids are committing crimes and not caring as much because they know that they are under the age of eighteen and they know that they will not get as in much trouble as they would if they were tried as adults. But, if they were tried as adults the crime rate of kids under the age of eighteen would decrease in a huge way. That is another reason why juveniles should be tried as

Among the reasons adolescents are incapable of the same reasoning and maturity as an adult is the fact that their brains have not yet fully developed. According to the “Young Adult Development Project” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), the human brain does not reach full maturity until at least the mid-20s. As a result, minors do not possess the mental capacity to understand the consequences of their actions. They cannot fully comprehend the seriousness of the situation until it is already too late. Teenagers are especially susceptible to this, which can lead to regret, guilt and many obvious mistakes. Researchers at MIT point out the limitations of the teen brain in their Young Adult Development Project, “At the same time young adults are experiencing new levels of sophistication in thinking and emotional regulation, their brains are undergoing changes in precisely the areas associated with these functions.” Additionally, The University of Rochester Medical Center writes in their article “Understanding the Teen brain” that “Good judgement is not something [minors] can excel in... yet.” In 2016 a 10-year old boy shot and killed his brother while they were playing cops and robbers with a rifle he did not know was loaded.

The brain is considered undeveloped until one is in their mid-20s. At the age of 13, youths are known to have an undeveloped sense of responsibility, and lack a great deal of maturity. Which causes them to have little control over their environment. The two girls at age 13 accused of attempting murder on a classmate show them to be two dangerous individuals. But, for them to plan this to impress a fictional internet character shows their decisions are made due to their immature psychological level of their age.

Knowledge deters youth from committing offenses because youth will not want to be tried in the adult justice system. However, this should not happen because teenagers are not equipped to handle situations in the same methods at adults. According to the Juvenile Justice Center “The evidence now is strong that the brain does not cease to mature until the early 20’s in those relevant parts that govern impulsivity, judgment, planning, for the future, foresight, of consequences, and other characteristics, that make people morally culpable.” Juveniles cannot process or plan a crime in the same manner as an adult. The teenage brain is undergoing tremendous amount of growth in its ability to reason, make decisions and delay gratification. The teenage brain cannot be held responsible for actions like an adult

Firstly, some people believes that the youth crime still increases in recent years. (The Australian 2008) However, there is a little evidence show that a decline when we look at the government statistics. Figure A illustrates that the juvenile and the adult offenders from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

Juveniles are not allowed to drink, drive without restrictions, get married or even sign a legal contract without their signature being invalid. They are physically incapable of making mature, well-processed decisions. The brain is not fully developed until at least the age of 20. Teenagers can not possibly be expected to handle the same consequences as fully matured adults. Research has shown that the rate at which juvenile violators of the law turn

Juveniles crimes have been much more serious as of late for the very reason that they create

Juveniles are always going to make mistakes in life. This is how they learn from right and wrong. However it to me is a choice in almost all cases. Almost all kids know what right and wrong is in early childhood. They are taught at a very young age, what they should and shouldn’t do. From

Juvenile crime statistics show that offenders under the age of 15 represent the leading edge of the juvenile crime problem. "Violent crime grew some 94% among these youngsters from 1990 to 1995- compared with 47% for older youth (Siegel and Welsh, 2011).

Thomas A. Preciado, a fourteen year old boy who stabbed a mini mart clerk to death. He was given 26- years-to-life prison term. Should this juvenile be locked away in prison for twenty six years to the rest of his life?I disagree with the majority of supreme court justices who believe that mandatory life sentence are unconstitutional, unfair, and inhumane. I disagree, because life without parole should be retained due to the crime they had done, which is first degree murder. First degree murder is any intentional murder that is willful and premeditated with malice aforethought, and they have broken this law. Not only did they take the victim’s life away in the crime they also took the victim’s right away, So the victim’s family has all the right to fight for justice and punishment for the criminal, Therefore the criminal should not just gets a little punish and out he goes again to experience freedom, when the victim he killed can’t just get

Linda J. Collier’s “Adult Crime, Adult Time” is quite an interesting article, one that brings attention to a problem I had not even thought about before reading it, but it also left quite a bit to be desired. She makes her beliefs quite clear in the second paragraph; the juvenile law system is out of date, and needs to be updated. Adolescent crimes have evolved in the last few decades. Rather than truancy, vandalism and petty theft, “juveniles now are more likely are more likely to be the perpetrators of serious and deadly crimes.”

Juvenile offenders are increasing day by day regardless of the efforts to control the youth crime. It is important to understand the fact that even though the offenders fall in the young age bracket, they are still a part of human species. Human nature responds to violent actions with violent reactions. Violent reactions cause an increase in the violent actions instead of controlling them. However violent reactions may cause a temporary stop in the violent actions which may lead the authorities to believe that they have contained the crime. However, that doesn't stand true as a temporary stop does not result in a permanent solution.

In truth, the problem isn't quite as pressing as it was a few years ago. With crime rates dropping, so is juvenile crime. But felonies by kids had exploded over the previous 10 years, a legacy of the crack trade and armed gangs, so the recent decline is still a dip in a high plateau. From 1985 to 1995, juvenile arrests for violent crimes rose 67%. Perhaps a fifth of all violent crimes is the work of teens.