Prompt: Young people who commit crimes should be treated in the same way as adults. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

It is believed that the same punishments should be equally imposed on juvenile delinquency and adult crime. In my opinion, children should be responsible for their crimes, yet according to the severity of their actions, immature criminals should be punished the same as adults or not. Ċ On the one hand, in the case of petty crimes such as robbery or fighting, I argue that young children should be punished with more lenient sentences. This is because they are too young to be fully aware of what they have done or to control their aggressive emotions. Therefore, instead of being punished in the same way as adults by being sentenced to 1-year imprisonment, youth criminals should be punished with community service. By doing so, they can compensate for their wrong acts as well as be deterred from reoffending. Ċ On the other hand, in some serious crimes such as murder, I strongly support the view that the same punishments should be imposed on juvenile killers. It is undeniable that this kind of offence is extremely serious and leaves long-term implications for the victims’ family members. Besides, killers pose a threat to the security of society, so they should be sentenced with heavy punishments regardless of their age. For instance, a Vietnamese teenager still received capital punishment due to the inhumane nature of his motives and the way he killed the whole family. In other words, with serious crimes, strict punishments can act as a deterrent against would-be culprits. Ċ In conclusion, I hold a firm belief that the punishments that youth criminals should receive should be based on the severity of the crime. While juvenile offenders who commit some petty crimes should be punished to a lesser degree, serious crimes such as murder should not be reconsidered no matter what age killers are.