Essay On Juveniles Should Not Be Tried As Adults

Juveniles should not be tried as adults for it is wrong to hold adolescents, under the legal age, to adult standards. If children do not even receive the same rights as adults in the first place, it makes no sense to try them in adult court. These juveniles should have the opportunity to be rehabilitated in a positive manner, for they tend to come from troubled households and violent neighborhoods. In over half of the cases these troubled kids don’t know any different way than a life of crime when surrounded by both social and environmental factors that influence their delinquent actions. One must commemorate that juveniles are mentally underdeveloped, and still have time to innovate if their issues are dealt with precisely and accurately. Trying juveniles as adults gives them open opportunity to associate with violent offenders, and the chance to become victimized or assaulted. Consequently, this justifies …show more content…
Research has shown that the rational part of the brain doesn’t even develop until around the age of twenty-five, according to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice. Adults process information with the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s rational part that responds to situations with awareness and good judgement. On the other hand, teenagers process information with the amygdala, otherwise known as the emotional part of the brain. This explain why when in a decision-making process that teenagers tend to act on feelings and emotions rather than considering the long-term consequences of their actions. Punishments considered fair for an adult are unreasonable when given to a child who does not even comprehend the consequences for his or her actions (“Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried As