We are constantly reminded that the United States has a problem with juvenile violence. Not only in EEUU, but in England and Spain people are very concerned with murders in communities and even in the schools. The United States is now the world leader in its rate of incarceration. Yet polls show they don't feel safer than ten years ago. Some countries are focused on treating juveniles as adults, despite the fact that current incarceration has not stemmed the tide of adult violence. In this essay I intend to argue that children from ten to eighteen shouldn't be tried for murder as adults. They should receive a treatment according with their psychological or mental characteristics as I"ll try to show.
First of all, I personally believe that legislation in order to try kids as adults and apply the death penalty to them should be avoided. Because of the March 24 shootings in Jonesboro, Texas has proposed legislation to try 10-year-olds as adults and apply the death penalty to 11-year-olds. Since 1970 this same state has been cutting back the expenses on education by at least 25 per cent and upped funding for incarceration by 3.2 billion dollars (www.about.com, 2003). I think that putting more money in education instead of increasing penalty would be more effective. Children are not miniature adults. They have basic needs we all share: food, shelter, clothing, safety and caring. The lack of basic things can lead them to violence. Money should be invested in education and care more than in prisons in order to prevent crime.
It could be argued that some of the most famous murderers have been well bred children who didn't lack comfort and care, that is the case of the "katana's murder" in Murcia who killed his parents and sister or the students at Columbine High School. But it seems to me that there are some other reasons, apart from the material and affective, which can turn a child into a violent person, for example: social, psychological reasons (having been neglected or abused) etc.