In a recent decade, the world has witnessed numerous wrongdoings committed by young individuals, which ignites fierce debates regarding the appropriate punishment. Some people argue that these underage individuals should hold accountability for their criminal acts, while others contend that the children’s guardians should be liable instead. This essay will explore the merits held by both perspectives before offering a considered conclusion.
On the one hand, supporters of self-accountability feel the necessity of emphasizing the responsibilities of young offenders. As underage people are still in their development stage, they are on their journeys of learning and exploring, and therefore being easily influenced by their surrounding environments, no matter good or bad. Specifically, with a wide coverage and attraction of television programs and online contents, which might contain inappropriate images of violence and ignorance, it might be tempting for some children to relentlessly follow these suggestive acts as a mean of proving themselves, leading to unwanted results such as crime commitment. In these cases, stringent punishment should be imposed to show these young criminals that offending activities will lead to severe consequences, thereby reshaping their behaviors.
Opponents of the above view, however, believe that the root causes of young offenders usually come from the recklessness of their parents. Before becoming an adult, many children tend to spend a large amount of their time at home, being surrounded by their families. If these members are unable to teach their offspring properly, or being a bad role model to them, these young individuals may gradually form their perceptions that inappropriate behaviors are acceptable and might go unpunished. As a result, they might have higher chances of conducting wrongdoings. Hence, it is more justifiable to have parents holding accountability for their children’s behaviors, so that they would reconsider how they should raise their offspring.
In conclusion, although it is beneficial for the young offenders to be aware of the consequences of their crimes, family members should also have responsibility for their inappropriate affection toward these individuals. Thus, a balancing approach that adequately considers both factors should be implemented, addressing both the wrongdoers and the people who nurture their behaviors.