Should Juveniles Be Considered Adults Essay

It’s hard to decide whether juveniles are mature enough to be considered adults. So when evaluating how juveniles should be punished, some base their understanding on studies of the juvenile brain and argue that juveniles are far too naive and cannot take responsibility for their actions. Meanwhile, others argue that juveniles can understand their actions and can take responsibility, even though they may seem underdeveloped. When determining if juveniles should be considered adults for crimes they commit, it becomes too nuanced for all cases to be summed up under one side. Instead, many look to focus on other reasons that juveniles should not be considered adults for the serious crimes they commit. For instance, in, “Children Accused of Crimes

For instance, in “Time to Raise the Juvenile Age Limit,” Schiraldi and Western describe how juveniles, despite comprehending their actions, are still influenced by their underdeveloped brains and therefore are misguided and cannot be charged as an adult. Likewise, in “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences,” Garinger describes the juvenile brain as underdeveloped when it comes to emotion and control, falling under the same misguidance. Then, in “Children Accused of Crimes Shouldn't Be in Adult Courts,” Talitha Hazelton describes how juveniles in adult courts are under a cloak of assumptions that encourages a bias against them and how that can lead to unfair punishment. In “Effects of Trial Venue and Pretrial Bias on the Evaluation of Juvenile Defendants,” Connie Tang focuses on the public perception on juveniles in adult court, suggesting how jurors can harbor a similar bias against juveniles as well. Finally, when it comes to adequate rehabilitative care, Hazelton describes how juveniles are given access to very little education, and denied contact with parents in “Children Accused of Crimes Shouldn't Be in Adult Courts.” And in “California's Juvenile Justice System Needs a Complete Overhaul,” Le highlights similar concerns with rehabilitative care. Considering juveniles as adults when they commit crimes can be a justifiable way to bring consolation to victims and their families because they get the consolation that the criminal will experience the same misfortune as they did. However, this only unfairly projects a greater problem onto these juveniles. As a society, we shouldn’t look at these juveniles with a presumption of guilt. They deserve a chance to change themselves, and for the moment, charging them as adults is not a viable option. This debate that we have isn’t