Child Crime

Argumentative Essay # 111130

Child, Youth Issues > Teen, Adult Issues
Criminology > Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminology > Juvenile Justice

Child Crime

This paper discusses the issue of actual child crime statistics and looks at juvenile justice systems.

1,219 words () | 5 sources | APA | 2005 Canada

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses whether or not drastic changes in legislation and criminal codes are necessary, given the actual statistics concerning youth violence. The writer notes that many sociological and criminological researchers have published studies on the actual statistics concerning youth crime, and it is these statistics that must be examined prior to determining whether or not changes to the criminal code, such as charging young offenders as adults, are warranted and necessary. The writer maintains that the true danger in America today posed to children is not other children, but instead, family violence, adult on child violence, and gun violence. The writer concludes that increasing the punishments for youthful offenders, therefore, will do very little to solve the problems of youth crime or youth violence, as these are not truly the greatest crime threats in America today.

From the Paper:

"Critics argue that in order to protect society it is necessary to have harsh sentencing that shows children and adults alike that criminal behaviour is unacceptable. These critics argue that the purpose of sentencing should not be rehabilitation and they do not view rehabilitation as being possible or desirable. Instead, these critics prefer to seek vengeance on criminals and put very little thought into the future outcomes of such actions. Perhaps this would reduce crime, but history has shown that it does not reduce it by very much. In fact, unless you can lock up each offender for life, which is in some places crippling the financial affairs of some states, you are simply contributing to the creation of super criminals who learn how to better defy the law while locked up."

Sample of Sources Used:

Beyer, M. (1997). Experts for juveniles at risk of adult sentences. In P. Puritz, A Capozello, and W. Shang (Eds.). More than meets the eye: Rethinking assessment, competency and sentencing for a harsher era of juvenile justice, (pp. 1-22). Washington, DC: American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Centre.
Donohue, E., et. Al. (1998). School house hype: School shootings and the real risks kids face in America. From Washington D.C. The Justice Policy Institute, Centre on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, pp. 2-21.
Satter, L. (1998). The Kids and the Courts. The Arkansas Democrat, Tuesday, June 30, 1998.
Templeton, R. (1998). First, we kill all the 11-year olds. Pacific News Service, May 27, 1998.
Redding, R. (1999). Juveniles in Adult Courts & Prisons. Juvenile Family Court Journal, Winter 1999