Teenagers should be tried as adults in court of law.

Let me just preface my response by recognizing your politeness/openness to your claim being challenged. Though it may seem a tacit requirement on a debate site...evidence of it is not so readily apparent. It is a genuine pleasure to make your acquaintance!!! My responses to your responses (lol) are as follows: YOU:...but as they seek a path of self-mindfulness allowing them to get away with crimes teaches them the crimes are acceptable. RESPONSE: when the claim is made that one understands/discerns the difference between right and wrong. It assumes that the personality is already molded/complete in regards to morality. To say that not penalizing them to the maximum extent (as an adult) TEACHES them that it is acceptable, is contradictory, as it concedes that adolescents are indeed, still malleable/improvable/teachable. It may just be a question of usage, but the justice system is anything but didactic, it is society's means of reparation for acts committed against it/its citizens. Moreover, there is an irrefutable distinction between the right and wrong you mention, (defined as an internal guide that exists before an act), and the societal consequences that enforces what is 'acceptable vs. unacceptable' (an external occurrence that results from an act). YOU: Though the children would be put through the Juvenile System, I believe the system is inadequate and easily manipulate. My reason being is many teens, who have committed unthinkable crimes, have gotten out of being properly punished. ME: Being able to manipulate the system doesn't necessarily indicate the maturity/accountability of an individual. They are just learning from the society at large. This example is going to seem a bit crass, but if you catch two toddlers (same age) playing with a lighter, would you give a harsh punishment to the child who has the dexterity to ignite/strike it? Hopefully, you'd just take the lighter away and be mindful of how this new found skill could be dangerous! So just because a teen can imitate the violence/cunning that they witness in society, does not mean they are mature enough to fully recognize the extent of their actions. YOU CONTINUE: The path to find your true inner self requires you to work and function with society. However when you prove a threat to society, not receiving harsh punishment teaches these young adults early on that breaking the law is acceptable. Though they would be put through the JV system, the system show more special treatment than it does discipline. ME: Id like to start by refuting that a teen is a young adult, this is a stage after adolescence (18-35). You are right however, that development (proper) is all about teaching a child to function in society. But it is not just a one-way transaction, society should inspire/attract the integration of individuals as well, and our encroachment on childhood, among other things, does not bode well. Lol. Also, in response to the 'special treatment' teens receive in juvenile detention centers, the reasoning behind this intervention to further nurture, not alienate/punish individuals until they are of a certain age. Consider those criminals who are deemed incorrigible. The predominant contributing factor to a sociopathic profile is childhood trauma. The more love and encouragement a child (teens included)receives, the more willing they will are to give up personal liberties (adapt) for the betterment of society. YOU: Gangs are all over the world, but as it turns out gang are able to easily manipulate this system. All they do is have the gang member who are 18 commit the murders, so if they get caught they will get out of the JV system at 18. This method in fact is quite effective, and gang related homicide has raised by 23% over the past few years. ME: Your point is compelling. Kids, younger and younger, seem to be committing heinous crimes (gang affiliated or not). One might speculate as to why children are turning away from parental/familial bonds in the pursuit of acceptance or approval of gangs or street credentials. Maybe the bond was never there? Whatever the case, I'm definitely not advocating allowing them to run amok until we find a cure-all for society's ills. There must be some semblance of order, but I've yet to see evidence for how locking away more people has or will ever prove rehabilitative to the individual or society. And if we start with adolescents, what is to stop us from going younger...where will this line of accountability be drawn?? Thank you for your attention!!!