In recent times, young individuals are increasingly engaging in criminal acts and some people argue that they should be penalized the same as adults. Although I believe that young criminals should be punished for their actions, in my opinion, the attitude towards them for crime commitments should not be the same as for older criminals.
On the one hand, it is true that there are several reasons why youngsters should be punished for their actions. First of all, penalties may be imposed for deterrence purposes. When young people face the consequences of their actions, their will for committing crimes may diffuse, consequently isolating themselves from the criminal world. For instance, younger individuals who are imprisoned for their criminal acts, such as burglary or cyberhacking, may not want to act in the same way again, as life in prison is really harsh and risky. This, in turn, may help them to avoid being engaged in crime. Furthermore, fostering genteel behavior can be another reason for young adults to be punished. This is because impolite behavior is one of the main contributors to a criminal lifestyle; however, by teaching them great manners, society can ensure a great future and avoidance of criminal activity. For example, recent research has shown that youths with polite behavior are less likely to be criminals than those with inappropriate and questionable actions.
However, even though I am of the opinion that imposing punishments on youths is necessary to distance them from a life of crime, they should not be treated as adults. The main reason in favor of this argument is mental health considerations. Many young individuals are not as strong in terms of mental stability as older people, and the punishments may negatively affect their psychological state. For instance, when minors face harsh punishments and struggle a lot, their lifestyles and perception of life may alter negatively. The second compelling argument against this case is the immaturity of juveniles. People in their early life are immature to make serious decisions and may be unable to bear the implications of their actions. Given that, it seems illogical to enforce punishments against them as seniors.
In conclusion, although penalizing young people is of critical importance in order to deter them from criminal life and foster polite manners, I would argue that disciplining them in the same way as adults is incorrect due to reasons such as mental weakness and inability to bear the responsibility for their actions.