Juvenile Crimes – Are We Doing It Right?

Columnist (Our World)

A swift movement of the hand and in a split second the victim was bleeding profusely. The hands holding the murder weapon, although frail, were confident; the young face smothered with anger.

While this may seem like a scene right out of a noir flick, the disturbing truth that shadows the world is that such scenarios are a part of the stark reality we live in. Furthermore, the disturbing fact is that in many cases, the one committing the crime is not even old enough to caste a vote.

We are living in a difficult world; a world where we wake up to the news of rapes, murders, terror attacks and political mind games. Each day passes by with us lamenting over the loss of many innocent lives—victims of brutal acts committed by a handful of outlaws. More often than not, when these sinners are unmasked, it unveils an innocent looking face capable of executing heinous crimes. Before those young hands learn to drive, they acquire the art of killing. Many different aspects of life are major influences behind these crimes, the most common being poverty. However the question looming over the society is whether it is the wrong upbringing that leads young minds to become impervious to the cruel actions they perform, or is it something else? Many case studies have pointed out that it is not just the wrath of poverty that leads teenagers to commit such atrocities. Unstable environment, exposure to lethal drugs, violence and easy access to arms and ammunition often result into juvenile crimes. Another major reason contributing to delinquency is conduct disorder—a psychological disorder seen during childhood where the child lies, steals, bullies, or in other words, resort to actions that are considered legally immoral. In over 13 year olds, peer pressure seems to top the list of reasons responsible for felony. Adolescents befriend people who are already involved in crimes and are then forced to participate in activities that turn them into criminals under the eyes of the law.

However, the uneasiness lies when the society has to deal with the juvenile delinquency. It’s disturbing to discover the fact that the pillars of the society are the ones uprooting it. An adolescent is caught in one of the most major crimes seen in the country. While the others involved might be given life imprisonment, the law states that you cannot resort to harsh punishments in case of a minor. The seriousness of the crime is irrelevant. Although the nation is angered by the youth’s brutal actions that had serious consequences, the different acts constituted in the region ensure that the wrongdoer will be treated differently. In such cases either the law must be amended to reduce the age bar or the severity of the crime must be taken into consideration. If the youth involved in rape, murder and robbery is taken out of prison in a couple of years, s/he may walk down the same path again. Hanging on the ropes of immaturity and vulnerability seen under 18-year-olds, convicts are excused from severe punishments.

While many prevention factors are undertaken such as interventions, training programmes and therapeutic sessions in cases involving minors, it is important to note that our society is working towards the elimination of criminals and not crime. If basic education is imparted into the lives of children, and if young minds are moulded properly to think straight, the criminal inside the person will not take birth. It is essential for the society to learn that the roots of crime need to be uprooted rather than criminals.

Image Courtesy: Keith Burtis, Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithburtis/2712540324/)