Children in the media are a controversial subject because of the mainstream lines drawn that assess maturity and a judgment of which is age appropriate to know the moral standards of “right versus wrong”. When the media concentrates on the term “stranger danger”, it pulls attention away from other criminals and focuses primarily on forewarning the public audience of issues within the criminal community that regard the association between children and offenders like pedophiles and kidnappers.
The media uses bias techniques that stray more and more from the truth and concentrates themselves on stories that they think will be in the public’s interest. When a story is relatable, controversial, involves children or the elderly, it could be considered “newsworthy” and therefore journalists strive to capture quick opinions and interviews as quickly as possible and edit and correct their discrepancies, later. A good story would be that that adds value to the subject, and not one that deters from it. Making stories seem urgent, this strikes fear in its audience, no matter what the ordeal, and the response is viral or rampant and causes extravagance (Dean).
The opinions of the public vary due to different laws in each country, and in the United States, each state. Personally, I do not believe that children should be tried as adults. The severity of the crime should have a standpoint in punishment under juvenile criminal standards, but I do not believe anyone under 18 should be tried as an adult. UCBerkeleyNews did an online article on the brain during adolescence. It states that because of hormones and development, that those under the age of 18 are still making decisions that are more irrational than that of those that are 30. Risks are of no consideration when teenagers are going through a process of growth and development (Tompa). In that retrospect, the article entails that anyone under 18 is not as capable to make decisions based on right and wrong as those over the age of 18.
Overwall. In the Biker’s Association of Child Abuse (BACA) they brand children as innocent victims. Taking into consideration “both sides of the story”, one might argue that things like upbringing, heredity, and environment may have an immense affect on children (anyone under 18) making rash versus sound decisions. BACA criminalizes heavily on child predators and/or child abusers. In BACA’s mission statement online, their goal is to protect children who feel they are afraid or may come upon a situation of fear in their life, for their lives (“Bikers Against Child Abuse”).
In my opinion, BACA judges child abuse as a crime and would not consider children under the age of 18 to be tried as adults. Their standpoint from a Public Relations perspective would come off as hypocritical in nature if they deem all children as victims, and then side with the topic of trying them as adults. And making stories seem urgent, this strikes fear in its audience and within the criminal community that regard the association between children and offenders like pedophiles and kidnappers.
