So it's possible that we're seeing more news reports, not more crimes. Since the issue burst into prominence, stories that previously would have received only local coverage have become national news. Still, even one such incident deserves a serious response. From the child welfare perspective, two things are clear. First, we must rule out all the vindictive reactions that ignore the difference between children and adults.
Children are children.
Second, we also must rule out returning the child to the environment that produced her or him without serious intervention. Although, judging from media reports, these are the only options the public is aware of, there is a wide range of possibilities between the two. A child who breaks the law is signaling as clearly as he or she knows how that something is wrong in that child's life. Chances are, earlier cries for help have not been heard. Our best hope is to identify these children as early as possible and help them put their lives on course.