Amanda Bucklew

Miss Thomson (Period 8)

AP Language and Composition

20 January 2017

Juvenile vs. Adult Discipline

Justice cannot be for one side alone it must be for both. This is a statement made by

Eleanor Roosevelt tells how true justice is given to both sides so that everyone is treated equality.

The resolution, In the United States, juveniles charged with violent felonies ought to be treated

as adults in the criminal justice system, (A Developmental Perspective on Serious Juvenile

Crime) is helping to give equality and justice to all those being tried of a violent crime. I would

like to first define and clarify this resolution. Merriam-Webster defines a juvenile as,

physiologically immature or underdeveloped; young (Merriam-Webster) and it is also, in a

case of the law any person under the age of 18. A violent felony is defined by the California

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as, murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape,

robbery, attempted murder, kidnaping, carjacking, extortion, any felony which the defendant

inflicts bodily injury on others, or any felony punishable by death or imprisonment for life

(Violent Defenses Defined). I am in firm affirmation of this resolution for three main reasons.

First, children need the correct discipline so that they can improve their behavior, second, if a

child can commit these crimes then they should be treated accordingly, and third, treating

children differently than adults is completely unjust.

My first contention is that if discipline is installed at an earlier age then it is more likely

to deter a child from misbehaving in the future. As stated by the North Carolina Cooperative
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Extension, All children when growing up need discipline. Not only do kids need to be

corrected to shape their own behavior, but also it helps them interact better with their peers and

others around them. Children need guidelines and punishment to develop self-control and to

know how to behave. Without effective limits and boundaries, kids will not learn from their

mistakes, they will not have good behavior, and they will never become good, responsible adults.

This all begins with the parents as they raise their children. The North Carolina Cooperative

Extension explains, Providing appropriate discipline to children is one of the most essential

responsibilities of a parent, and providing consistent and positive discipline helps children grow

into responsible adults (Teach Your Child Discipline at an Early Age). Discipline begins in

ones own home with parents. However, the consistency comes into play when children become

teens and reach the border between juvenile and adult. If a child were to commit a serious crime,

then harsh punishment is needed so he or she can learn from the mistakes made and change their

behavior for the better. With age in mind, discipline should remain the same for all so that

juveniles will see that their actions have real consequences so as not to take advantage of their

age in serious situations involving crime.

My second contention is that if a child is old enough to perform such a violent crime,

then that child should receive the treatment and rights that come only with that felony. If a minor

is capable of, for example, murdering another human being, then they should take full

responsibility of his or her actions and be given the same treatment as an adult. Children know

right from wrong, and should know that committing any violent felony is never acceptable under

any circumstances. In fact, according to Paul Bloom, professor of psychology at the Infant

Cognition Center at Yale University, Research has shown that babies as young as six months old

already make moral judgments, and they think we may be born with a moral code hard-wired
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into our brains. (The Moral Life of Babies) This proves that children have a developed

conscience and would know that performing such actions are wrong and would result in bad

consequences. Unless one is mentally or ill has any other disability that would prohibit him or

her from being in the right mindset, there is no reason to alter a punishment as a result of age.

My third and final contention is that treating children who commit serious felonies

differently than adults is simply unjust. How is it fair that a child who carries out the same

misconduct would have a milder punishment than any other adult? Both people know right from

wrong, both people have a conscience, both need punishment to learn from their mistakes;

however, for some reason, adults get treated and penalized much harsher than a minor. Under

the law, a child would be anyone under the age of 18, and an adult would be anyone 18 years or

older. What if, for example, a 16 or 17 year old were to commit a violent felony? They would be

given a lighter sentence than someone who was 18 or 19, which is not only completely unfair,

but is only, in the end, hurting the minors who are not being reprimanded as they should be.

There have been some efforts that coincide with the Tough on Crime movement, which imposes

stricter consequences for those committing crimes. This program has had interesting results and

has been known to help juveniles by treating them as an adult would be treated in his or her

position. An article on this movement states, The effects of these policies are alarming. Local,

state and federal governments have all adopted and implemented these policies resulting in

enormous increases in drug arrests, more punitive sentencing proposals, resurgence of the death

penalty, departure from juvenile justice systems, and increased racial profiling and community

surveillance (Defending Justice-Modern Tough on Crime Movement). These juveniles are

being taken in more often and disciplined as they should be. As a result, they are learning from

this experience and finding their way again from the same systems used for adults. Therefore, it
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is unjust to give them a different punishment because they too are capable of being disciplined in

the same way.

In conclusion, I believe that the resolution, In the United States, juveniles charged with

violent felonies ought to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system, (A Developmental

Perspective on Serious Juvenile Crime) is true. First, children need to be disciplined correctly to

prevent misbehavior in the future, second, a child who is able to perform such violent acts should

take responsibility for such actions, and third, everyone, child or adult, who commits a such

crime should be treated equally because it is unfair to do otherwise. Everyone who has

committed any one of these felonies has earned their punishment and should have the correct

consequences not matter what their age.

Works Cited
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Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

"Teach Your Child Discipline at an Early Age." NC Cooperative Extension News. N.p., 28 Mar.
2012. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.
"Violent Defenses Defined." Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. N.p., n.d. Web. 3
Jan. 2017.
"A Developmental Perspective on Serious Juvenile Crime: When Should Juveniles Be Treated as
Adults 63 Federal Probation 1999." Heionline.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Jan. 2017.
Bloom, Paul. "The Moral Life of Babies." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 May
2010. Web. 04 Jan. 2017.
"Defending Justice - Modern Tough on Crime Movement." Publiceye.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Jan.
2017.