Participant Observation of a Church Service
SHOLUD JUVENILES BE CHARGED AS ADULTS WHEN THEY COMMIT CAPITAL CRIMES? Controversy exists on the question of whether a juvenile criminal should be punished as an adult. The topic is significant because, juveniles are committing violent and vicious crimes everyday. These juveniles are being charged as minors even when they commit crimes such as murder and rape. The question is why are they getting off so easily. Does dysfunction in their homes influence them? Do their peers cause them to commit these crimes? How does the media affect their behavior? I chose to use several research methods to answer my questions. I used several books and articles on juvenile delinquency and a variety or child development books. Those who commit capital crimes, including adolescents should be penalized, according to the law. Age should not be a factor in the case of serious crimes. Many people claim that they did not know, or that he was brought up with the conception that this behavior is acceptable. Juveniles who commit harsh and dangerous crimes should be treated as adults for committing adult crimes (Demaris, 1970). How would you feel if one of your family members was brutally murdered by an adolescent? A juvenile crime does not only affect the individual who committed the crime, it also affects the individual who was the victim of the crime. Juveniles should be held no less accountable than adults and treating them as such may also help to deter crimes. We are told that kids murder, mug, and steal because they grew up in poverty (Palmer, 1972). There are factors that contribute to juveniles committing these crimes: their families, the media and their peers. The family is the primary unit in which children learn the values and attitudes that guide their lives (Seifert&Hoffnung, 2004). There are numerous reasons why a child acts in the manner in which he exihibits and why he continues to exert such dangerous acts and even scheme (Austin, 2000). Family disruption can have a