Some people believe that Young people who commit crime should be punished in the same way as adults. Other think that we should communicate with them in another way. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

It is sometimes believed that the justice system should get on as tough on young offenders as on mature criminals. In my opinion, even though treatment should be commensurate to the offence, it still should take into account the lack of maturity and therefore, the consequential vulnerability of juveniles. Punishments for juvenile crimes often do not meet the community's expectations of adequate punishment, rather sending a message of impunity and even lawlessness. In this case, justice, which is expected to put the community safety first, may seem not to fulfil this function. If a child commits a minor offence, such as theft or vandalism, the police may just talk to parents. Having escaped a deserved punishment, a young person may have no fear of inevitable consequences that any crime implies, thus, is more likely to re-offend. Hence, a punitive measure that is more adequate to the offence than just a pet talk is necessary. However, treating them as adults is not appropriate. To ensure community safety, it is rehabilitation and not punishment that should be put first when it comes to youngsters convicted of a crime. Punishment addressed to adult criminals is often an overly severe penalty for juvenile offenders, which could have a destructive, but not re-educative effect on young convicts. Being subjected to the same environment as adults may adversely influence young offenders to adopt the culture and become entrenched in the values of the criminal world. A viable alternative could be rehabilitation programs, including counselling and intensive treatment in case of behavioural disorders to address the root cause of the reason a crime was committed as it may be easier to help young people to mend their ways. To prevent re-offence, juveniles could be monitored even after the program. In conclusion, an effective justice system should take into account such factors as age when considering adequate sanctions for an offender. I, therefore, disagree that youngsters who committed a crime should be treated as adults as such a penalty may only divert them from a law-obedient life.