With increasing crimes among young people, the concept of how to treat them is often debated, with some individuals believing that treating them the same way as adults is necessary for justice, while others, including me, argue that they should be judged with a rehabilitative program due to their developmental stages.
Proponents of treating youth with the same punishment as adults cite various reasons to support their stance. They argue that crimes —homicides and other violent crimes— irrespective of age, should face adult-level punishment to ensure justice for the victims. Additionally, not only does this treatment serve as a reminder that no one is above the law, but it also becomes a moral lesson for other people, regardless of their age. A good example is the case of Jordan Brown, an 11-year-old boy who was charged with the murder of his father’s girlfriend in the U.S. Some argued that he should face adult charges because of the brutality of the crime, emphasizing that serious offenses should not be excused based on age. As a result, in the U.S, where there have been cases of young people committing serious crimes, the system often treats them with adult sentences.
However, I strongly disagree with the idea that young offenders should be treated the same as adults. Teenagers are still in a critical stage of mental and emotional development, and their brains are not fully matured. For instance, research shows that the decision-making part of the brain is not fully developed until the age of 20. This is why adolescents commit crimes without thinking about the consequences. Punishing young people at the adult level could lead to long-term psychological harm. Additionally, young offenders benefit more from rehabilitation than adults. For example, in Norway, where the juvenile justice system focuses on education and rehabilitation rather than punishment, recidivism rates have decreased.
In conclusion, while treating young offenders as adults might seem fair for serious crimes, it fails to consider their emotional and mental development. Young people are more likely to benefit from rehabilitation rather than punishment, leading to better long-term outcomes.