The justice system in the United States is a huge industry. In 2015, there were over 13 million adults arrested. Also in 2015 there were 1 million juveniles arrested. This means that a large part of the justice system focuses on the handling of juveniles. Despite the fact that the rate of juvenile arrests has declined by as much as 65% from 1996 to 2014, the rate is still high. For every thirty three juveniles, one was arrested in 2014. This is a large contrast to 1996, where one in every twelve was arrested (Juvenile Arrest Rates). Even though juveniles only make up a small portion of the cases that enter the justice system each year, they can be very long drawn out cases and be incredibly controversial. Michigan is no exception to this. The
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The human brain does not finish developing fully until the age of 25 (Understanding the Teen Brain). The last part to develop is the area of the brain that controls reasoning, emotions, and rational thinking. This is believed to be a huge part of why juveniles commit crimes. They are not able to reason regarding their actions and this leads them to make decisions that would normally not be made. Another component of child development is the social aspect of crime. Children need to feel accepted, and if they feel like they are not, they will do what they have to do to fit in. If they do not have something that they think they need to have friends, they will steal it to be accepted. Gangs are also a huge draw to young adults because it gives them a place to fit in. They are surrounded by other individuals that are just like themselves and for someone that is in a broken home, it draws them in. Gangs can be a place for kids to escape from whatever is affecting them at home or in their lives. Children often commit crimes with other children in an effort to look cool or be accepted. They also might commit a crime to gain something that they want. Juveniles do not have the mental capacity to understand that there are consequences to their actions. Because of these inabilities, it can be much harder to tailor rehabilitation and treatment for …show more content…
This can have a devastating effect on them for the rest of their life. The labeling theory speaks to the lasting effects that labeling a juvenile as a criminal can have (Hirschi). The idea holds that once someone has been labeled as a criminal they are doomed to a life of crime. It is a type of self-fulfilling prophecy, one that states that someone that may not have actually committed the crime is labeled as such and will end up actually committing that crime. This is a large reason why the media is often criticized for publicizing the information of a crime before they have been sentenced. Once someone has been labeled, they often only have opportunities related to what they have been labeled as. Someone that is a convicted sex offender often cannot get jobs in certain fields, live in certain areas, and are put around other offenders like
The human brain does not finish developing fully until the age of 25 (Understanding the Teen Brain). The last part to develop is the area of the brain that controls reasoning, emotions, and rational thinking. This is believed to be a huge part of why juveniles commit crimes. They are not able to reason regarding their actions and this leads them to make decisions that would normally not be made. Another component of child development is the social aspect of crime. Children need to feel accepted, and if they feel like they are not, they will do what they have to do to fit in. If they do not have something that they think they need to have friends, they will steal it to be accepted. Gangs are also a huge draw to young adults because it gives them a place to fit in. They are surrounded by other individuals that are just like themselves and for someone that is in a broken home, it draws them in. Gangs can be a place for kids to escape from whatever is affecting them at home or in their lives. Children often commit crimes with other children in an effort to look cool or be accepted. They also might commit a crime to gain something that they want. Juveniles do not have the mental capacity to understand that there are consequences to their actions. Because of these inabilities, it can be much harder to tailor rehabilitation and treatment for …show more content…
This can have a devastating effect on them for the rest of their life. The labeling theory speaks to the lasting effects that labeling a juvenile as a criminal can have (Hirschi). The idea holds that once someone has been labeled as a criminal they are doomed to a life of crime. It is a type of self-fulfilling prophecy, one that states that someone that may not have actually committed the crime is labeled as such and will end up actually committing that crime. This is a large reason why the media is often criticized for publicizing the information of a crime before they have been sentenced. Once someone has been labeled, they often only have opportunities related to what they have been labeled as. Someone that is a convicted sex offender often cannot get jobs in certain fields, live in certain areas, and are put around other offenders like