I believe that children committing serious crimes should not be given the same punishment as adults. More and more children today are being tried as adults but are these solutions ethical?
Many children committing these crimes have simply just been overwhelmed with something happening in their life and at the time weren’t thinking about how bad the action really was or the consequences of this decision. Some of the latest research shows “the brains frontal lobe which some scientists speculate is a crucial role in inhibiting inappropriate behavior may not reach full development until the age of 20”(Reaves, Jessica).
“Many people involved in this subject say mental illness may be a major cause of these crimes but recent studies have shown these mentally ill patients are just as likely to commit a serious crime as any other person”.(Randeep, Ramesh) Yet there are number of these patients still committing the crimes. Which again makes us say why? Well, this new study’s told us why, and that was “Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were found that the abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol caused mentally ill people to perpetrate crimes of murder, manslaughter and sexual violence” (Randeep, Ramesh). But this study also gave us insight that “People with mental illnesses who abuse substances have violent crime rates which are six to seven times higher than the general population as do people with no mental health issues who have similar drinking or drugs problems.” (Randeep, Ramesh). So now we see the cause of these crimes and that’s drugs and alcohol. Now I know children shouldn’t be doing any drugs or drinking and who says they won’t just go get drunk or high once they get out of jail? We can at least help to try and stop this. We have to start using guidance and counseling because most of these kids have had a hard life and no role models to look up. If we give these troubled children role models the role models will show them how to not have a life where every time you mess up you feel you need to turn to drugs and/or alcohol. But what good is it if we sentenced the child to life behind bars? The answer is it does no good. Which brings me to my next point of should we really be putting the children behind bars for life? How is an adult sentence of life in jail even fair to these kids? Tell me how a 6x6 concrete room with mattresses harder than rocks and an open toilet is going to show these children the consequences on their actions? The child will simply ponder on their action and not have the desire to become a better person based of the fact that they will never even get to experience life in the outside world. These kids are the future of America and deserve a second chance to prove the changes they have made and how they can contribute in the real world.
So now I ask you to consider the facts of this argument and take into consideration what I have to say. These children need help and the facts presented in my paper are the way to helping them.