Explain Why Juveniles Should Not Be Tried As Adults

Juveniles are not mentally capable to understand the crime they commit like an adult is, thus they should not be tried as an adult. A child, just like any living thing, goes through developmental stages. Throughout their growth periods, juveniles learn new skills and so do their brains. In a study, “Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis of New York University led comprehensive diagnostic evaluations of 14 juveniles on death row (at that time, 40 percent) in four states. She found that nine had major neuropsychological disorders and seven had psychotic disorders since early childhood” (Ortiz). Many of these psychotic or neurological disorders are not detected until a child shows that they are abnormal for their age. Unfortunately, there is no treatment available for those who are not diagnosed. It is so hard to diagnose a person when they are young, and if they act out on what they cannot control, then it is simply not their fault. If it is not their fault then they should not be tried as an adult. …show more content…
Adolescent violence is up, “according to the National Center for Juvenile Justice, the number of arrests for violent crime among those under age 18 rose 47 percent” (Wartik 76). To many, it would be inexcusable to not hold the party responsible accountable. I do understand that if you do a crime, you should do the time, however doing the time is not beneficial to young kids. As previously expressed, there are many other options than sentencing kids to prisons that are beneficial to society. Additionally, kids will still be sentenced for their crimes and held responsible for their actions, but not to the extent as