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Juveniles Could be Treated as Adults and be Tried

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Charles Sanchez

In most countries worldwide, children below the legal age are often exempted from punishment or are given less severe penalties such as community service when found guilty of a crime. The logic behind doing so is that they are still young and naïve and cannot differentiate between right and wrong. But this is not necessarily the best situation to show empathy towards the children, especially if the crime committed by the child is profound. Juveniles should be tried for the crimes they commit depending upon the severity of the crime and the child's age.

The reason behind not trying juveniles for crimes is that children until the age of 18 are under the care of their parents or guardians, who are responsible for making the decisions on behalf of the child. It is only after the children turn 18 years of age that they can legally make decisions independently and become responsible for their actions. However, in a fast-paced world such as ours, the children are maturing quicker than in earlier times. Having the means to get information quickly, even about matters that would usually be considered difficult or inappropriate for youngsters, has made the scenario much different. In the eyes of the law, treating a juvenile as an adult and trying them can affect their prospects, as they can get labeled as criminals. And so, the constitution does not treat juveniles as adults and usually tries to rehabilitate them.

However, doing so gives the impression that since they are not held accountable, they can get away with anything, including criminal activities. No one should be allowed to take the rules or the constitution for granted, which is why juveniles must be treated as adults and tried for their crimes.

Given that children are maturing and becoming more conscious of their surroundings earlier, it is reasonable to assume that they will have formed their beliefs and values by the time they reach adolescence. As a result, long before reaching the legal adult age, they are very aware of their decisions and can be held responsible. Exceptions in this scenario can only be made if the children suffer from mental disorders or are intellectually challenged.

There have to be some rules that govern when it is appropriate to treat juveniles as adults or not. We cannot indiscriminately treat all juveniles as adults and hand strict punishments to them even for petty crimes. As mentioned earlier, juveniles should only be tries like adults when the severity of the crime committed is severe and the children consciously take the actions.

For instance, if a child still in his/her formative years steals something, we would scold them instead of treating them as criminals because there is the realization that he/she is confused between what is right and wrong. If an adolescent commits the same act of stealing (soon to be an adult), they would be given a simple punishment like paying a fine or community service. And yet, if an adult committed the stealing, they would have to pay a fine or get imprisoned. In this case, the juveniles are not treated as adults because the nature of the crime is not severe. Although an adolescent commits a serious crime like a murder or a high-scale robbery, they should be treated the same as adults and handed the strictest possible punishment. If an adolescent is aware of what is morally right and wrong in society and yet chooses to commit a crime, they should be kept accountable.

Although the provision of not holding juveniles responsible for their crimes is placed in their interest, they take advantage of this law and continue to commit serious offenses because they realize that they cannot be held responsible. And this is why juveniles must be treated as adults and be tried if they commit serious crimes.

Byjus courses offer many good habits building exercises. Children are taught about various crimes and they got to know the difference between good and bad. Byjus help them to understand the various circumstances that Crimes can lead to, this will help juveniles take better decisions in their lives by not committing crimes.

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Charles Sanchez
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