"The Yoa Should Apply To Youth As Young As Ten Years Old."
Submitted by KevinWalker on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: Science
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"The Yoa Should Apply To Youth As Young As Ten Years Old."
To think that the age of an individual guilty of committing a crime would prevent or protect them from a suitable punishment is beyond belief. It is my opinion that the minimum age of an individual to be properly sentenced under the Young Offenders Act should be 10. Due to the circumstances that surround the increasing numbers of youth violence, and the decreasing numbers in age they are being committed at, the Act should start to cover a broader and, in sense, younger age group. I find no reason that a 10 year old should not be punished under the same rules and regulations as a 13 or 18 year old as they are maturing to a stage in their lives that they should begin to understand the basic principals of what is right and what is wrong. It would make no sense that an individual not be punished for a crime because of their age whereas another individual of an older age be punished for the same actions. If the minimum age of the Young Offenders Act lowers to 10, younger members of society will be able to see the consequences of their wrongful actions.
At the age of 10, people have been in a learning environment, whether it is at home or school, where fundamental training and lessons would have taught the basic principals of responsible behavior. A ten year old should know that killing someone or seriously injuring them for any reason other than self protection is simply the wrong thing to do. A ten year old should understand the basic rules that make theft and vandalism a crime. It should not be wrong to assume that children have been brought up in today's day and age to know the difference between an allowable action and one that is illegal.
If the minimum age of coverage for the Young Offenders Act is not lowered to at least 10, what will the punishment for the lawbreaking individuals who do not fall under the specific age category for the Act be? If the children are not punished with equal sentencing to that of a thirteen year old for the...
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