Gore 1

Jenna Gore
DeBock
English IV Honors
March 4th, 2015
Juvenile Offenders
Teenagers are not going to stop committing adult-like crimes if they do not get adult-like
punishments. Minors who are involved in crimes like murder and rape need a wake-up call from
society and the justice system. If they are not disciplined in an adult manner, they are going to
continue to think they can get away with offenses like these. Juvenile offenders should be
charged as adults if they conduct a serious adult crime.
Juvenile crime is no laughing matter. It affects society in numerous ways. Citizens are taking
matters into their owns hands to protect themselves, such as taking self-defense classes,
installing security systems in their homes, and getting concealed weapon permits (Brown 1).
People are afraid of these barbarous teenagers. When adults were surveyed, 83% said that
juveniles convicted of their second or third crimes should be given adult punishment. A Texas
judge once said, A half-growd rattlesnake is about a dangerous as a full-growd one (Boys 2).
Putting juveniles into adult criminal court and giving them adult discipline could possibly be a
way for society to get a handle on out-of-control youngsters (Brown 1). When young men and
women are convicted of adult crimes, such as murder and rape, they should be held accountable
for their actions.

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The rate of juvenile crimes has continued to rise over the years. Although kids age five to
seventeen are only 15.5% of the population, one in every five violent crime is committed by
someone under the age of seventeen. 125,000 minors are charged with a serious violent crime
every year and 93% of these offenders are male (Boys 1). This proves that the crimes of juvenile
offenders are at an uproar right now. Many states are for putting teenagers into the adult justice
system. Twenty-one states and D.C. will transfer any juvenile to criminal court if the crime is
severe enough. The other twenty-nine states have age requirements that range from seven to
sixteen. Most cases that are waived to criminal court include murder, crimes including serious
personal injury (i.e. aggravated assault), property crimes, public order offenses (i.e. disorderly
conduct, obstruction of justice, weapons offenses), and crimes related to drugs (Brown 2). It is a
common misbelief that if a juvenile is prosecuted in adult court, he or she will be charged with
an adult sentence, but this is most definitely untrue (Chiou 1).
These events are happening all over the United States. In Oregon, on May 21, 1998, at the
age of 15, Kip Kinkel began shooting at his school, killing two and injuring twenty five. On
March 24, 1998, in Arkansas, 11 and 13 year olds Andrew Golden and Mitchell Johnson opened
fire at students exiting the school, killing five and wounding ten. December 1, 1997, in
Kentucky, 14 year old Michael Carneal began firing at a prayer group, killing three and injuring
five (Chiou 1). One of the most famous cases is the Columbine High School Massacre. On April
20, 1999 in Colorado, Dylan Klebold (17) and Eric Harris (18) opened fire. Twelve students and
one teacher were killed and twenty three were wounded before the student shooters killed
themselves (Columbine High School Shootings Fast Facts). Although some would say that
shootings like these will continue to happen regardless, giving these minors adult punishments
could begin to put an end to intense crimes like these.

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Before the 17th century, children were held to the same standards as adults (Brown 1).
Whether a child of the age of eight or an adult of the age of forty committed a serious crime, they
were given the exact same punishment. By the 18th century, nobody under the age seven could
have the ability to have criminal intent. Once a child was between the ages of seven and
fourteen, it was assumed that there was no criminal intent unless proven otherwise. At the age of
14, they were categorized as adults and could be sentenced to adult prison time alongside other
adults (Brown 2). The juvenile court was first created in 1899 in Chicago. It was developed to
keep the childs best interest the number one priority (Boys 2). As Chiou states, juveniles know
the different between right and wrong and must pay the adult price for their actions. The result of
the crime is the same, whether the convict is under or over the age of eighteen.
Juvenile offenders should be charged as adults if they conduct a serious adult crime. The
rate of crime done by teenagers continues to climb and will continue to climb until it is put to a
stop. By charging juveniles as adults and placing them into adult criminal court, the number of
crimes conducted by minors is expected to go down significantly. The goal of putting juvenile
criminals into the adult system is to reduce and eventually bring an end to juvenile crimes.

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Works Cited
Boys, Don. "Violent Juvenile Criminals Should Be Treated As Adults." Crime and Criminals.
Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints.
Rpt. from "Criminal Children:The Lunacy of Leniency." Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
Brown, Michael P. "Juvenile Offenders: Should They Be Tried In Adult Courts?." USA Today
Magazine 126.2632 (1998): 52. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
Chiou, Hanna. "More Juveniles Should Be Tried as Adults." Juvenile Crime. Ed. Auriana Ojeda.
San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Adult
Crimes Deserve Adult Treatment." Digital High. 2000. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
"Columbine High School Shootings Fast Facts - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 18
Apr. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.