Opinions are divided as to whether children should be punished for crimes with others asserting that parents should be the ones who face punishment. Although some people believe punishing parents for their children’s actions would be better as they are accountable for their children’s actions, I am of the opinion that children should be the ones who are punished since it can prevent the irresponsibility that they feel towards their actions and maintain justice.
On the one hand, a child’s behaviour and actions mostly depend on parental upbringing. Those who are taught good manners by their parents tend to feel more responsibility for their actions, whereas others who lack these manners more likely show inappropriate behaviour such as bullying others, threatening, and so on. Due to poor upbringing, some young people may commit crimes and as they are still young, they may not feel a sense of responsibility. Thus, parents should be responsible for their children’s actions and be punished for their crimes.
Punishing children for their crimes, on the other hand, would be more appropriate in order to make them feel a strong sense of responsibility. Regardless of their ages, every individual should be accountable for their actions and take all types of penalties into consideration. For instance, a young boy who committed a crime due to his mental illness should not be neglected, instead it should be prevented from leading to further crimes. Otherwise, young people would not take enough responsibility for their actions, thereby committing crimes relying on not facing any penalty.
Moreover, punishing children for their actions can lead to fairness. Those who engage in criminal activities should not be discriminated against based on their ages. For instance, it is not fair to ignore the actions of the child, but penalize the adult ones, as it leads to unfairness. Thus, the government should treat everyone equally for the crimes regardless of their ages in order to maintain fairness.
To sum up, punishing parents for their children’s actions can be superior for preventing crimes. That said, treating children and adults equally for their crimes can lead to a sense of responsibility and help with maintaining justice.