There is a view that the young generation should be punished in the same way as adults are penalized. Although some people disagree with this idea, I think it would be much more reasonable if the same punishments were applied to all age groups.
On the one hand, there are some reasons why it is insensible to punish young people like adults. Starting with the mental aspects of this trend, it is true that adolescents’ brains are still in a developing phase, particularly in areas related to impulse control and decision-making. Once youngsters are treated as adults when committing a crime, which many people argue is unjust for the young, they may become emotionally damaged, not knowing what to do—an incident that can potentially lead them to become more unstable, increasing their levels of tension and anxiety. Another implication is that some young people have a sense of revenge and are enthusiastic to retaliate against anything against them. As a result, treating such people in this way makes them not only break the laws repeatedly but also re-offend and commit criminal activities deliberately. All of these indicate that the young generation must be treated differently because of severe future consequences.
On the other hand, implementing a tolerance policy system for even young people would be reasonable to some extent, in my opinion. One reason for this trend is accountability. The idea of holding people, regardless of their age, responsible for their actions, especially in serious cases of crime, would be fair. This, in turn, shows that all members of society must face the consequences of their behaviors. For example, if a young person were to kill someone or steal a certain amount of money from a bank with a group of people, they should be punished to prevent this from happening again, with no consideration for a lower level of penalty. Secondly, harsher penalties can deter young individuals from committing crimes as they realize their wrongdoing, fostering a sense of disappointment. When youngsters, after being given adult-level punishments, feel great fear about the severe outcomes, they could change their attitudes and behaviors, a fact that significantly decreases the number of crimes in the long run.
To conclude, while it could be valid that the young generation should be penalized with penalties that bring severe consequences, I reinforce the idea that all members of the population must be treated the same, showing equality and deterring young people from engaging in criminal activities.