It is often considered that teenagers of less than 18 years of age should be provided with rehabilitation other than imposing penalty when they make any offense. Although education may assist them to stay away from committing further crime, I firmly believe that punishment is also necessary to make others aware.
Rehabilitation is the process by which offenders find an opportunity to refine themselves so that they can lead their after-life in a positive way. In other words, when adolescents commit any crime knowingly or unknowingly, they deserve a chance to learn about the negative consequences of misconduct through which they can comprehend their fault. A recent report published in ‘The Daily Sun’ indicates that the crimes committed by youngstars decreased significantly in Dhaka – the capital city of Bangladesh – after the misdoers had gone through a newly established rehabilitaion center. Therefore, education is a must not only to educate the crime activists but also to minimise the offense rate.
On the contrary, young offenders who make any crime should encounter disciplinary actions even though they are of an early age, because it makes other people aware not to violate the law further. To be more precise, if individuals commit a crime and do not face any punishment, others may be motivated to make similar offense in future. Furthermore, juvenile crimes are experiencing an increase during recent years, since several societal organisations enforced the authority not to impose penalties to the young offenders. Consequently, effective punishment is required for the misdoers, even if they are below 18, to minimise the offense rate and raise awareness among others.
To conclude, while education is crucial to teach the wrongdoers under the age of 18 about the adverse outcomes of crime, punishment is also mandatory which refrains others from engaging in misconducts.