Should minors who commit violent crimes be tried as adults - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... but before a concrete decision is made there are a few hurdles that are to be crossed and issues to be looked at, and only after the examination of these issues the pros and cons of such hurdles are discussed one can reach a decision that would not only benefit the minor but also the society as a whole. This paper would look at some of these issues and cater to solutions of those issues by highlighting the advantages of those solutions.
The first problem that arises in the decision of treating a minor as an adult in a trial is to know whether a minor has the intellectual and moral capacity to judge the consequences of his crime. In this fast paced modern world where almost everyone has access to media of some sort let it be movies or internet, which makes people aware of crimes and there consequences. I believe that it is one of the most basic things a child learns in his early years that for every bad action there will be consequences and it’s through this idea a child learns what is right and what is wrong. A child who is aware of the fact that a crime is a bad deed he must then be aware of the consequences it will bring. Now a days with the increase in violence around everyone it is just hard to believe that a child not matter how young he is, is unable to understand the effects of violence. It would be childish on our part to assume that a minor who is willing to commit a crime as heinous as murder is innocent. A child who knows how to use a gun or any weapon to kill someone or use it for violence is fully aware of the consequences it will bring on himself, victim and the society, Reaves (2001). At what age then children develop that moral sense and understand the consequences of their actions?
The solution to this problem would be to find a way to know whether a minor under question has developed that moral sense or not. Before the decision is made of ...Download file to see next pagesRead More