Preferential Treatment of Juveniles by the Courts - Assignment Example

Our legal system recognizes that juveniles are still under parental custody and as such guardians take the blame for their crimes. Further, their chances of successfully undergoing are higher and as such juvenile courts prefer the use of rehabilitative techniques instead of corporal punishment or jail sentences. Most juvenile crimes result from the fact that they have not lived long enough to appreciate social norms and standards. Juvenile crimes, therefore, fall in the class of crimes with passion without forethought.

They are still in their development stages and therefore may sometimes fail to differentia between right and wrong actions and as such commit criminal offenses with little thought or understanding of probable consequences. As a result of their ongoing biological development, minors are unstable emotionally. Just slight provocations could, therefore, trigger emotions and causing them to react in violent manners. There is therefore lack of premeditation in most juvenile crimes and this justifies their preferential treatment by courts (Bonnie, Johnson, Chemers and Shuck, 2007).

At the age of 16 and below, juveniles are still receiving parental care and therefore parents take responsibility for all their actions. Parents/guardians are charged with the responsibility of upbringing their children, availing healthy environment and instilling desirable values among the kids. The blame for juvenile crime should thus be shouldered by parents while the young ones receive preferential court treatment. This is because some juvenile crimes may be the result of circumstances such as being subjected to an unsafe environment.

The responsibility of their actions is therefore shifted to parents and courts prefer corrective rehabilitation on the juveniles.