A lot of people believe that juvenile offenders should have the same punishment as adult criminals. From my perspective, I disagree with this statement because it can lead to psychological trauma for adolescents and increase likelihood of juvenile recidivism.
On the one hand, minors are in the process of developing and forming their psychology, so they are not yet ready and mature enough to receive severe punishments like adults. If they must suffer adult penalties, they can face some permanent emotional damage. A study found that many juvenile offenders tend to change negatively and are more likely to fall into feelings of hopelessness. when they are punished as adults. Rather than helping them see their mistakes and improve, harsh punishment can make them feel pressured, worthless and have no chance to make amends.
On the other hand, juveniles are easily influenced by their environment, so being arrested with dangerous criminals can cause them to have more violent thoughts and behaviors. As a result, they will sink deeper and deeper into the wrong path without realizing their mistakes and pose a huge threat to the future of society. Scholars have pointed out that the young criminals group arrested with dangerous adult criminals tend to build bad behavior, while the group that join rehabilitation programs learn life and vocational skills, eventually becoming a useful citizen of society.
In conclusion, many individuals think that young offenders should receive punishments similar to those of adult criminals. However, I personally disagree with this view, as it can cause psychological trauma for teenagers and raise the chances of them reoffending.