Juveniles Committing Violent Crimes - Research Paper Example

? Juveniles Committing Violent Crimes Juveniles Committing Violent Crimes Any crime committed by a person under the age of 18 is considered to be a juvenile crime. This is so according to law enforcement agencies. According to some research carried out in different countries, most reported cases of juvenile crimes are against other juvenile delinquents. This means that the most violent crimes are against people in their own age bracket while the rest are carried out against adults. It is assumed that in a month the most number of cases recorded of teens committing violent crimes in an area are five. This is an extremely high number considering they are all minors. In most jurisdictions this means they cannot be tried as adults and put in jail. However, in other areas, new laws indicate that they can be prosecuted and executed for the crimes they commit (Diane Publishing Company, 1997). As times change, under age offenders have to pay the price for the crimes they commit. In some instances the punishment is very harsh. This essay will give a summary of juveniles committing violent crimes and how the youths end up in prisons. Introduction A juvenile is a minor who has committed criminal offences either against the state or other individuals. The crimes committed by juveniles are real menace to society. Juveniles are held responsible for the crimes they might have committed in a juvenile court. During the recent past, juveniles have been getting away with light sentences over the crimes they have committed. However, recently they are being tried and persecuted as adult criminals who have broken the law. It is assumed that if they are old enough to commit some crimes, then they are liable to face the law as any other party doing a crime. The rise in violent crimes has seen them being executed since the magnitude of these crimes is heavy. These crimes are mostly done to their peers or other juveniles (Diane Publishing Company, 1997). The reasons could be that, during their interaction, they manage to get under each other’s skin. The result of this is an unplanned violent crime that they have to pay for. This paper will follow up on some of the reasons why these crimes are becoming rampant, and the reason why the judicial system has decided to make such a ruling on the persecution of these minors. It is quite clear that minors who commit serious crimes, for example, a murder, do not fully understand the value of life. They often think that since they are minors, the punishment against them will be light. This, as earlier seen, is not always the case nowadays. Juveniles are often given lighter sentences since they are not held eligible for punishment that is accorded to their adult counterparts. Gone are the days where this would be true. A number of juveniles are facing the death sentence due to crimes they committed in their teens (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). According to some law enforcement agencies, violent crimes include: aggravated assault, rape, robbery and homicide. Juveniles committing or thinking of committing a crime will have to think twice because of the possibility of harsh sentences that can be imposed on them. Juveniles are now being given death sentences due to the violent crimes they commit. This has led to a sharp decrease in crimes like murders being committed by juveniles. It can be assumed that they are afraid of the consequences once they are caught (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). The homicide cases that involve minors have also recorded a significant decrease due to this. It is sometimes assumed that all those involved in crimes as minors are as a result of broken homes, abusive parents and difficult childhoods. This assumption may bear some truth in it. These are the factors that come into play that need to be focused on when thinking of prosecuting a juvenile (Diane Publishing Company, 1997). The fact that juveniles have to grow up with survival instincts they might have picked while growing up end up being the cause of their troubles. This is because they later transfer this survival to the streets in the form of violence and crime. There are many nations around the world that are known to execute children for the crimes they commit. These include some Arab nations and some African nations, an example being Nigeria. The United Nations is against the execution of minors, but it is getting little or no support from other nations. It is believed that the execution of minors is not the solution to this problem of violent crimes. In some instances, the execution of those over 15 years is allowed. The execution of minors below this age bracket would be equal to cruelty, and punishment that is very unusual (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). However, the execution of minors above 15 years, but less than 18 years is still cruel and unusual. On the other hand, excusing an offender simply because they have not attained the age of 18 is simply ridiculous. It also sends a message to the other underage teenage juveniles that they could get away with a crime due to their young age. However, executing them is also very unrealistic. It goes against their right to be protected from all factors that hinder their growth and development. It sends a message to the others trying or thinking of committing certain offences. However, many scholars note that this approach is not the best way to go about it (Diane Publishing Company, 1997). A common misconception in society today is that all juvenile crimes are carried out by the male species. This is not true. Female juveniles have also been on the rise, and it is taking a different turn for the worst. This is because, in this day and age, girls are brought up and socialized in a different manner than in the past. Girls from single parent families seem to be acting out more than their counterparts in homes where there are both parents (Chaneles, 1984). They do this as a means to get attention since they feel that they are not getting enough. Society’s acceptance of the idea of defiant women has been the cause of some female, juvenile delinquency. The mental picture that is stuck in the minds of female villains in society makes them act out for whatever reason that they deem fit. This behaviour grows slowly. Within no time, they are fully grown with difficult expectations of life, and society. If things do not go their way, then they have difficulty in expressing how they truly feel (Chaneles, 1984). This leads them to turn to crime and teenage truancy as a means of coping. Drug exposure and poverty at a tender age has made these juveniles find it easy to fend for themselves in the streets. However, the manner in which they do this is not the right way. The media has a part to play in the encouragement of juveniles across the globe. Nowadays, movies make crime and violence a common occurrence in society. This makes minors think that getting involved in crime is very normal and cool. Drug infested societies have also been the reason why teens grow up looking for easy ways of getting rich (Hess, 2009). All the crimes that involve juveniles should be given a listening ear. Judging and executing a minor could be termed as being cruel. This is because executing someone who is not well aware of some of the consequences of their actions is wrong. Minors lack the experience, maturity, and even self-control to handle these consequences. This is why the laws in different countries should be re-evaluated. This is to enable the juveniles have some time to understand what they might have done was wrong (Chaneles, 1984). They should, however, not pay for these crimes through execution. Juveniles run a higher risk of committing a crime than adults. This is mainly because of the negative influences the juveniles receive from society. This could either be from their peers, the media, the violent homes they grew up in, or the poverty stricken neighbourhoods they come from. Teens are easily manipulated to do things that the consequences may not matter to them at the time they commit the crimes (Diane Publishing Company, 1997). They, therefore, record a higher number of crime rate than their adult counterparts. It is assumed that when an adult is involved in a crime, it is due to the pressure that they may feel at the time. The same could not be said about minor offenders. Drugs have had a major role to play in the crimes carried out by juveniles. Sexual assaults carried out by juveniles, for example, rape, have mostly been due to drugs. After the intake of drugs, the chances that a minor is likely to commit a sexual crime are very high (Hess, 2009). The influence from peers also comes into play here. When in a rowdy crowd, it is very likely that juveniles can carry out very many crimes that they may not be aware of at the time. It is only after the drugs are out of their system that they get to realise their folly. Due to their immaturity and lack of self-control, it is highly likely that the guilt they feel may lead them to admit their mistakes. They may end up being incarcerated. They usually admit their mistakes because they think that the system would be lenient on them. They learn a little too late that the system will not consider their young age, and they have to bear the full extent of the law (Diane Publishing Company, 1997). This is the difference between the juvenile criminals and adult criminals. Adult offenders are aware of the consequences of their actions. This leads to very few cases being reported unlike where minors are involved. Violent teen behaviour could be one early sign to watch out for. Bullying, for example, is a common thing in school. However, getting to understand the mind-set of a bully would give the same result as that of a juvenile criminal (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). Their affiliation with inflicting pain on others is the same. Teenage mood swings also play a very crucial role in the development of juvenile criminals. Fascination in death is also a cause for concern. Recently, a parent was locked up in jail in the US. The reason that led to this was that his child drew a picture of a gun in school. It is signs like these that every parent or adult in society should look out for. Looking out for early signs could lead to the prevention of some very serious cases among teens. It is argued by some people who support the punishing of minors as adults that since they think like adults, they should be tried and punished as such (Hess, 2009). It is also believed that individuals, regardless of their ages, are able to decode the difference between what is wrong and right. It is, therefore, wrong to assume that a minor committing a heinous crime, for example, murder, should be left to walk away free. The message sent to other minors thinking of doing the same thing is that they could get away with it too (Cassel & Bernstein, 2007). This should not be the case according to all those advocating for equal punishment for a juvenile and adult who might have committed crimes of equal magnitude. The moral code to choose between right and wrong should be inbuilt and, therefore, no human being, regardless of their age, should be left to walk away after committing a violent crime. Conclusion Since it is quite apparent that the family structure is one of the main causes of juvenile delinquency, parents and guardians should be involved in the growth and development of their children. That is very important. The daily running of their children’s lives should also be at the top of their priority list. This in the long run could go a long way in making teens feel appreciated. Love shown to a growing child could prevent them from acting up just to get attention from the relevant parties. Poverty, not being anyone’s fault, being another reason for juvenile crimes should also be addressed. These teens should be taught of ways to help them alleviate themselves from poverty by working hard. They should also be told that looking for easy ways out of hard situations is not the way to go about living. With that in mind, crime among young teens would be the furthest from their minds. This could be so once they learned consequences of crime in today’s society. References Cassel, E., & Bernstein, A. D. (2007). Criminal behaviour. New York: PULP. Chaneles, S. (1984). Gender issues, sex offenses, and criminal justice: Current trends. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Diane Publishing Company (1997). Juvenile offenders and victims: 1997 update on violence. New York: Bantam Books. Hess, K. M. (2009). Juvenile justice. New York: Macmillan Publishers. Read More