Topic > Discussion on whether or not juveniles should be tried in court as adults

The criminal justice system has a long history dating back to the 1700s. In the old days, criminals were tried the same way, regardless of age. No differentiation was made between minors and adults as no mechanism was in place to distinguish the two groups of individuals. Jails and prisons contained both adults and minor criminals. This poses a risk to the media since their reaction mechanism is not similar to that of an adult. Accordingly, it was necessary for minors and adults to be tried separately for the benefit of the child's welfare. However, with subsequent reform and changes to the legislation, it has become essential that minors are tried differently to adults. For several reasons, juveniles should not be tried as adults in court. Young people are in their development and transition from adolescent life and may not know any better. Child development depends on social, environmental and daily interactions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayChildren learn how they will behave as adults from the environments into which they are introduced (McCord & Crowell, 2001). In essence, the development of delinquent behavior among juveniles is minimal in criminals, which discourages involvement in criminal activities. However, in recidivism with a high prevalence of activity, the rate of juvenile delinquency is quite high. In most cases, children reach adulthood before they can become involved in serious delinquent behavior as their behaviors are easily identified by their guardians or parents and preventative measures taken earlier. Likewise, adolescents do not know much about existing laws and crimes defined in various pieces of legislation. In most cases, what might be an offense can be a reason for a child to satisfy his curiosity. For example, kids may try marijuana to experience the feeling of high. This prevents them from having direct knowledge of which actions are interpreted as a crime. Therefore, when they are involved in crimes, they should not be tried as adults in court. Young people are still developing and learn from adults at this stage. Mixing adults and children in the same court poses a serious risk to juvenile behavior. As they grow up, minors tend to copy practically everything from the adults who are close to them. In most cases, adults are more likely to commit serious crimes than minors. Therefore, when both are brought together during the trial, the young people will learn what constitutes a serious crime and try to practice it in real life. In court adults see it as a form of freedom, refusal therefore tends to become aggressive and this behavior can be copied by minors tried together with adults. For children in the juvenile system, they see it as an approach to correcting their distorted behaviors. Research highlights that children who are tried alongside adults are more likely to reoffend than those who are tried in a separate juvenile justice system. This stems from the fact that children will always try to put into practice what they have learned from the adults closest to them. Therefore, minors should be in a separate court. A criminal justice system is not well structured to handle juvenile offenders. From trial to imprisonment, it is clear that the adult procedural system.