Should Juvenile Delinquents Continue To Get Away With Murder?

Term Paper Title	Should Juvenile Delinquents Continue To Get Away With Murder?
# of Words	978
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.91

Should Juvenile Delinquents Continue to Get Away With Murder?

     There has been a dramatic increase in violence over the last few years. Crimes are
becoming more frequent. more violent, and more  frightening. The most frightening part
about it is that the criminals are becoming younger and younger.
     It is highly evident that there is a flaw in the legal system when seven or eight-year-
old children are committing murder with little worry to the consequences. Children are
performing horrific crimes, and not paying any price for their actions. Children can depend
on the fact that they will have to face little to no consequences. They know the laws
protect them. Unless, they are of the age of eighteen there is relatively no chance of them
facing any consequences for committing a crime.
     It is time for the government to "grow-up" and start treating juvenile delinquents
like grown-ups. Laws and punishments are far too lenient. Changes need to be made, in
order to teach the youth of today right from wrong. If the laws for juvenile delinquents
don't change these young criminals will continue to get way with murder.
     There are people out there who ask, "How can you give a child the same
punishment as an adult? They are just children; they don't know any better." They don't
know any better! Sure, there are things that you learn as time goes on, but even a young
child comprehends right from wrong. From the day you are born rules are being instilled
into your life. Rules which distinguish right from wrong. Children constantly learn right
from wrong by testing the boundaries and suffering the consequences. When you were
young you were taught to eat your vegetables or you couldn't eat dessert, a harsh
consequence when you are young. What has changed so much that the youth are now
testing the boundaries of criminal acts? The laws.
     The laws that have been designed to protect the youth are now being used as an
excuse. As an excuse "to get away with it". Children realize that they cannot get into
trouble. the worst they get is a slap on the wrist. They have already won the battle against
the system without ever fighting in it.
     As Rita Kramer stated in her essay, the repeated statement you hear from children
these days is, "they can't do nothing to me, I ain't sixteen yet". With the laws we enforce
today that is true. Of course children know it's morally wrong to kill. Life is something
special and to take that away from someone is wrong. Every human understands this
concept, despite their age. However, society is down playing what is morally right, and
moving towards the theory: it's not wrong unless you get in trouble. Children believe that
an act, even if morally wrong, can be performed as long as you don't get into trouble.
Society is protecting this false belief through the criminal laws. How are the youth going
to learn "right" from "wrong" if society does not teach...

Read entire document