Juveniles being tried as adults– who are to blame? In todays society, it is not who or whom; It is what. Juvenile offenders are now facing a double-edged sword. Not only can they be tried in a Juvenile court for a crime committed. They are now being charged as adults. Charging a juvenile as an adult has stirred up many different views. When should we say enough is enough?
Violent crimes committed by juveniles have become a growing epidemic. The children of today are subjected to violence in popular songs, television shows, and even computer games. A parent having guns accessible to children and the society the child lives in all play a part in the destruction of our youth. Juvenile offenders are now facing tougher punishment for their actions. Should society take responsibility for this and try to rehabilitate the youth, or should society penalize the youth and charge them as adults?
Juvenile crime is stated as an act committed by a minor that would be considered a crime committed by an adult, such as vandalism, burglary, assault, or murder (Silverstein). Juveniles are committing these crimes against families, classmates, and strangers. In many states, a juvenile is any one under the age of eighteen. Young offenders commit these crimes because they feel neglected, that no one cares, and this is a way to get attention. However, professionals say that juvenile offenders commit these crimes due to being abused or even ignored as a child (Valentine).
Society has proven countless amounts of times to play a part the breeding of bad behavior amongst our youth. How does a 10 year old find the gun to go kill his classmates? In many cases there were weapons involved that the youth found from other peers or adults in the home. If your child knows where your gun is located, it is partly the irresponsibility of parents that cause so many innocent lives. These troubled youth come from troubled homes in most cases. It may be hardly fair to call what weve created ourselvesmonsters.
There are many cases where juveniles should be tried as adults. As the youth becomes older, there is more and more pressure to do the wrong things in life. How do you rehabilitate someone with a weak mind? Many believe it to be by example and pressure. Sometimes the only way to discipline someone that understands they are doing wrong and still chooses to do it is by showing others it wont be tolerated.
Sometimes these offenders have to be made out of example. Society faces the horror of repetition if some kind of law is not enforced. Those who cannot be rehabilitated tend to do the same crimes over and over again. It is a waste of the societys time to try to rehabilitate these weak minded individuals. It is Charles Darwins theory of survival of the fittest. If the troubled youth cannot adapt to the changes of todays society, it is time that society does away with them in order to survive.
I in turn believe that juvenile offenders should be tried as adults under certain circumstances. If a juvenile commits a crime that obviously could have been avoided, and that individual doesnt feel any remorse about ithe or she should be tried as an adult. There is no room for toleration for murder that is intentional. It is hard to look a mother or father in the eye and tell them rehabilitation is the punishment for taking their sons or daughters life. It is a pain that society and I is not yet ready to bear. I think that you can look into someone eyes and tell if they are worth saving. The eyes never lie. The risk of these criminals being released and repeating the same crimes is not a price that anyone is ready to pay.
Violence is everywhere. Society struggles to rid todays world of it, but the fact remains that it is still a part of everyday life. The controversy of whether or not youths should be tried as adults or juveniles remains a tough decision to make. Not only does it trouble society, but it plagues the decisions of our government also. In some cases there is not an easy answer, but in some cases the answer is evident. My opinion is one of my own; however, it represents the ideas of many. Society is ready to speak out on juvenile crime. Juvenile offenders better take heed to their words, because it may mean the difference between another chance and a life of no freedom. For once, the choice may not be theirs, but that of the worlds.
