Explain Why Teenagers Should Not Be Tried As Adults

It is well known that teenagers are generally reckless and incompetent. When it comes to violent crimes, when should a teenager be tried as an adult? When a person turns eighteen, they are considered an adult and face the same responsibilities and consequences. They must be able to make their own decisions. Minors accused of violent crimes should not be tried and sentenced as adults due to their childlike behavior and instead should be remanded in juvenile hall until they reach the age of eighteen. Under the law, any person under the age of eighteen is considered a minor- not an adult. Minors are usually oblivious to the consequences of their actions mainly because of their undeveloped brains (Holloway 2). Many teens who are tried and sentenced as adults are not yet fully capable of knowing their consequences to the crimes they commit. From an excerpt from the article entitled “Should 11-year-olds Be Charged with Adult Crimes”, it is stated that in order for there to be a crime, there has to be a “guilty act” and a “guilty mind”, also known as “criminal intent” (Holloway 2). However, common law has found that children are not

Therefore, they cannot be held accountable for their actions in court as an adult. In addition, it is scientifically determined that the brain of a human is not fully developed until their mid 20s (Holloway 2). How then is it possible to blame the actions of a child who does not have ability to distinguish right from wrong? Most children are taught about morals and some are not.