Analysis: Should Teens Be Tried As Adults
The main point of this article is whether teens should be tried as adults by reasons of not being fully developed cognitively. Per the article by the age of 16 adolescents stop maturing, intellectually, but their psychosocial capability continues to develop well into adulthood. Also, the article mentions ‘short sight decision-making’, saying that adolescents don’t look at the consequences of their actions and are more driven by immediate gratification. So, this leads them to having poor impulse control and more likely to succumb to peer pressure.
What should be done and how should juveniles be treated in our legal system? Well, I think that since adolescents reach their intellectual ‘peak’ at age 16 they should be tried as adults at the age
of 16. You could argue that they don’t reach their psychosocial ‘peak’ until well into adulthood, well then shouldn’t adults be tried until they reach that peak as well? The chart on page two shows that by ages 26-30 they are just reaching that peak, so someone who is 25 and commits a crime shouldn’t be tried as an adult because they haven’t reach that peak yet? I strongly disagree. The article says they reach their intellectual abilities by age 16 so they should be tried when they are 16. I mean each case is special and there are other factors included such as upbringing and mental health. For example, a child who is subjected to crimes and doesn’t necessarily know what is right and wrong because of their parents or caregivers’ poor decisions should be given ‘strikes’. They should still serve time, but not the harshest punishment, but they shouldn’t get off free either. It depends on the nature of the crime and their mental state.
What should be done and how should juveniles be treated in our legal system? Well, I think that since adolescents reach their intellectual ‘peak’ at age 16 they should be tried as adults at the age
of 16. You could argue that they don’t reach their psychosocial ‘peak’ until well into adulthood, well then shouldn’t adults be tried until they reach that peak as well? The chart on page two shows that by ages 26-30 they are just reaching that peak, so someone who is 25 and commits a crime shouldn’t be tried as an adult because they haven’t reach that peak yet? I strongly disagree. The article says they reach their intellectual abilities by age 16 so they should be tried when they are 16. I mean each case is special and there are other factors included such as upbringing and mental health. For example, a child who is subjected to crimes and doesn’t necessarily know what is right and wrong because of their parents or caregivers’ poor decisions should be given ‘strikes’. They should still serve time, but not the harshest punishment, but they shouldn’t get off free either. It depends on the nature of the crime and their mental state.