Who Is To Blame For Juveniles Who Commit Murder - 825 Words

Who Is To Blame For Juveniles Who Commit Murder? (Essay Sample) Content: Who is to blame for juveniles who commit murder?Students nameProfessors nameCourse titleDateWho is to blame for juveniles who commit murder?It is hard to imagine a young child, boy or girl, being sentenced to 25 years behind bars after being convicted for murder. This is so because at that age, he or she ought to be preoccupied with teenage undertakings like playing scrabble. A section of human rights activists would defensively argue that such a jail term is a harsh punitive measure for a child. One of the arguments likely to be fronted is that the innocent children are victims of the unjust system and bear no responsibility for such actions. I, however, hold the opinion that the children know what is right and wrong, and such actions may be due to lack of proper parental guidance. This begs the question as to how it happened, the motif behind it, and why it was not considered as self-defense if the child was being abused. So what is the next cause of action for chi ldren who commit such felonies? Rehabilitating vicious murderers or rapists, even as juveniles may not be easy. While a section of people may agree with me, there are those who hold a contrary opinion.The sequence of accusations as to who is responsible for crimes committed by the child revolves around the parents, the society and the judiciary. This, indeed, is a cyclic problem as it is hard to squarely place the blame on any of the aforementioned entities. According to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, anyone below the age of 18 is regarded as a child. During the litigation process, courts do not view these juveniles as children; they view them in the context of the adult crime they have committed. It thus becomes debatable whether it right to convict and sentence a 13 year-old to life imprisonment or if he or she needs rehabilitation.The next controversy regards how such a child should be dealt with constitutionally. Juveniles are increasingly being cate gorized as adults for their violent delinquencies and being imprisoned to live amongst adult prisoners who may have committed worse crimes. Is there an alternative place that is deemed best for them, more lenient and accommodating? In fact, some convicts have admitted to have developed more serious social vices while in custody than when they were free. Most of the felonies committed by children are due to external influences from their peers. In as much as I concur that they should be punished for their misdeeds, I vehemently oppose the idea of imprisoning them. I propose that they should be confined until they attain the age of 21 years and thereafter given formal education and counseled before being released. Some studies indicate that such youth have a higher propensity to success than their peers in a normal education system (Krisberg, 2005).Technically, the imprisonment of the juveniles is not as a result of constitutional amendment, but rather re-definition of the regulation s and guidelines. The law should apply some leniency towards children, and should be considerate of the possibility of them being influenced by an array of external factors. It should consider the nature of the crime committed, the environment under which they are committed and any other possible factors that may have had a significant impact on growth and development of a child. Criminality amongst children occurs by coincidence rather than by design. It is not born; it is made since a child is likely to emulate what he or she sees or is taught. Children that are born and raised in violent homes are subjected to abuse hence more likely to develop those abusive traits. In such cases, therefore, the blame should be laid to the parents who should then be imprisoned without the possibility of parole.It is in this regard that I concur that the child should be taken to a rehabilitation center where he or she is more likely to be perceived as a situational victim rather than being guilty for murder. There are documented cases of juveniles that committed serious felonies such as the murder of a pregnant lady in Pennsylvania after she was shot by her fiancs 11 year old son. (Siegel Welsh, 2011). Such an atrocious act will definitely warrant severe punishment like a 30-year imprisonment or life sentence. Another possibility might relate to a child getting access to his parents gun and accidentally pulling the trigger and killing a friend or a neighbor. (Shoemaker Wolfe, 2005). We ought to acknowledge that such a terrible occurrence was purely accidental as the boy did not premeditate the killing. However, the probability of being convicted of murder is high and he or she might be jailed for a long time. In my opinion, the parents or guardians should be held accountable in su...