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Juvenile criminality represents one of the most agitating issues in modern times. The Kids Behind Bars documentary reveals unexpected and frightening truths about youth crimes. Many reasons, such as social and economic conditions, force young people to commit offenses. Nevertheless, this issue often requires a prompt reaction from authorities and the community. Therefore, children and adolescents committing crimes should bear responsibility as members of society, but many questions regarding punishment and prevention are left unanswered.
The trial of minors as adult offenders poses many challenges. Nevertheless, juveniles should be tried as adults because there is a need to protect society from future recurring dangers, such as rape or robbery (Siegel & Welsh, 2018). Three major circumstances include the crime’s severity, the offender’s age, and mental capabilities at the time of the crime. A separate legal category for youth is acceptable in this case. Still, group offenders should be tried considering their age because younger ones may not understand the severity of their crimes (Siegel & Welsh, 2018). However, there are cases in which even younger individuals have committed crimes of equal intent and severity.
One thing I learned from the documentary was how young many of the offenders were and how planned many of the crimes were. It is both relevant and shocking information as it reveals the lacking understanding of juvenile criminality (Halpern, 1996). Since parents and other adults may not perceive violent crimes committed by their children, parens patriae should remain a standard because a ‘get through’ policy can be only partially effective (Siegel & Welsh, 2018). Similarly, it indicates that there are no adequate predictors for behavior among juveniles that can explain their later crimes. Moreover, such a phenomenon requires deeper research and anti-crime educational interventions for youth.
First, due to the historical approach to providing trials for juveniles and the harsh policies of the past decades, many youths never had adequate legal proceedings. Injustice within the trial system for these individuals is a recurring theme that has only been addressed in recent years. Second, Developmental psychology has been deeply relevant in comprehending why certain youths may be more prone to crime or maybe an explanation for specific offenses. Unlike adults, even older children are much more susceptible to behaviors such as peer pressure and immaturity. Third, the juvenile justice system aims to avoid imprisonment if possible.
Some of the most interesting findings in the documentary relate to the public and system response to the offenders. The central challenge of the issue is the age-specific needs of children and the selection of appropriate correction methods. Especially in the case of murder, individuals related to the victim are not sympathetic to the idea that due to being minors, offenders may constitutionally receive lighter sentencing. Even within the system, certain parties consider some children beyond rehabilitation and prone to re-offend. As such, this dilemma provides the current lack of research that can observe the probability of juvenile crimes, especially concerning their development.
Current statistics for juvenile crimes in New Jersey support the predictions made in the documentary that focuses on the growth of juvenile crime and the tough response by the judiciary system. As of September 2022, most committed offenders are between 16 and 18 (Juvenile Justice Commission, 2022). Nevertheless, the underlying causes of recurring and growing crime rates are often not considered due to the lack of research. Although the predictions on juvenile delinquency are correct, some studies suggest that recidivism can be avoided through parental involvement (Ripley-McNeil & Kramer, 2021). However, this does not deny the significance of socioeconomic and other components in such predictions.
Finally, severe youth crimes should be imposed with responsibility and punishment. Whatever challenging such actions can be, children and adolescents committing crimes threaten future society, so this phenomenon needs a response. Another related problem is predicting juvenile delinquency, burdened by the lack of research and abundant influencing factors. Although predictions in the film appear correct, it does not exclude the urgent need to address the issue. Thus, one should focus on corrective methods and programs preventing youth crimes.
References
Halpern, E. (1996). Investigative reports: Kids behind bars [Film]. A&E Home Video.
Juvenile Justice Commission. (2022). Juvenile Demographics and Statistics. Web.
Ripley-McNeil, E., & Kramer, K. M. (2021). Does level of parental involvement predict juvenile delinquency? Journal of Interpersonal Relations, Intergroup Relations and Identity, 14, pp. 128-140.
Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. C. (2018). Juvenile delinquency: Theory, practice, and law. Cengage.
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