Should Teens Be Tried As Adults?

10 Pages 2535 Words

Should Teens be Tried as Adults?


In today’s society it seems like everything is controversial. One major issue in the rapid increase in teen violence. In our country 15-16yr olds make up only a small proportion of our population they commit a large percentage of all violent crime. Questions then arise over whether or not a teenager should be tried in a court of law as an adult or as a juvenile. It seems like anybody can say or do is give their own opinion of the matter. Whether, it is from a mother’s standpoint or even a doctor or a judge. Everyone has an opinion and I personally believe that a juvenile should be tried as an adult. It really comes down to a judges overruling opinion on the issue when it matters most. In my opinion I think that if they are big enough to commit the crime then they are old enough to pay the price.
There are those who think that a teenager should never be tried as an adult unless they are at least 17 or 18yrs old. Many of the arguments revolve around the teenagers maturity level and whether or not they really know what they are doing when they commit a crime and are still too young to comprehend what is right and wrong. Even though numerous authorities in the field believe that most youths age 14 and over can be held accountable for their own actions.
I believe that youth are developmentally different from adults, and these developmental differences must be taken into account at all stages and in all aspects of the adult criminal justice system. I think that a child’s background should also be checked out when research is studied. We could see what the child has been through mentally and physically in their life and this could further help solve and better rehabilitate them back into society. I also think that pretrial release or detention decisions regarding youth awaiting trial in adult criminal court should reflect their special characteristics. I think it might be a goo...