Are Teenagers Big Children----or Little Adults?

[burahadeer]

Are Teenagers Big Children—or Little Adults?

The police state's mission creep has spread to our primary schools.

 

A. Barton Hinkle | July 4, 2012

 

 

America can’t make up its mind. This should not be surprising in a nation of 314 million people, half of whom can’t make up their minds about what to have for dinner. But dinner is inconsequential. How we treat children is not. And when it comes to the treatment of children, society’s approach is wildly incoherent.

 

Last week the Supreme Court ruled, correctly but far from unanimously, that mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile killers are wrong. That ruling followed another two years ago saying the same thing about crimes other than homicide. Five years before that, the Supreme Court ruled against executing juveniles.

 

These wise rulings build on our growing understanding of the adolescent brain and how long it takes to reach full development. Advances in neuroscience show that in a host of areas from impulse control to thrill-seeking, humans do not reach full maturity until their early 20s. (Some never do.) So executing teenagers for serious crimes is like spanking toddlers for wetting the bed. Yes, they should know better – but there is more to the question than that.

 

Meanwhile, more and more children are being arrested and charged with criminal offenses for behavior that used to earn them detention – or less. Twelve-year-old Sarah Bustamantes was arrested at Fulmore Middle School in Austin, Texas, a while back because she sprayed perfume on herself after being told, “you smell.” According to a study of the Texas educational system, more than 1,000 pupils have been hauled into court for offenses as minor as “making an unreasonable noise.” In one instance, a pupil was arrested for throwing a paper airplane.

 

You might think: Well, that’s Texas for you; they’re old-school down there. But it’s the same story in many parts of the country. The Justice Department says roughly half of all public schools have police officers patrolling the halls. According to an ACLU study, law enforcement is replacing traditional school discipline in Massachusetts’ three largest school districts – Boston, Springfield, and Worcester – where more arrests are being made for “misbehavior previously handled informally.”

 

State officials don’t have to agree with the Supreme Court’s view of adolescence. But they ought to be able to agree with themselves. Yet in many cases, they do not. Take Texas. Not only does Texas slap kids with criminal charges for classroom antics, it also allows children as young as 14 to be charged as adults for certain felonies. On the other hand, Texas sets the age of consent for sexual activity at 17. This means that, in the Lone Star state’s eyes, a 16-year-old is a fully culpable adult if he robs a gas station – but a defenseless child if he loses his virginity.

 

What’s more, Texas also requires both parental notification and consent before a minor can have an abortion. So in the state’s eyes, some 14-year-0lds who commit crimes have the maturity and judgment of fully grown adults, but no 17-year-old has the maturity and judgment to make a medical decision for herself. Those two positions cannot be reconciled.

 

Texas isn’t alone. Virginia law takes the same two positions. In Mississippi, children as young as 13 can be tried as adults not only for violent felonies, but for any criminal offenses whatsoever – and they must be tried as adults for some felonies, including capital crimes. But both parents must agree before a Mississippi girl just shy of her 18th birthday can have an abortion. In Kansas, the discrepancy is even more stark: 17-year-olds must obtain consent from both parents for an abortion, and the age of sexual consent is 16 – but children can be charged as adults for any sort of crime starting at age 10.

 

Some of this incoherence is driven by ideology: Parental-consent laws are as much about hostility to abortion as they are about concern for young women. Some of it is driven by experience: Events such as the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School have encouraged a get-tough-on-crime approach in the schools.

 

And after several high-profile suicides such as those of Jamey Rodemeyer and Phoebe Prince, who were bullied until they couldn’t take it any more, it has become apparent that childish behavior still can have horrific consequences. (Hence every state except Montana now has a state anti-bullying law.) The recent harassment of New York bus monitor Karen Klein and a general coarsening of adolescent culture also contribute to public support for tougher discipline. Many Americans clearly think the kids are not alright. Now if only they could decide who they think “the kids” are.

 

A. Barton Hinkle is a columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where this article originally

 

 

http://reason.com/archives/2012/07/04/are-teenagers-big-childrenor-little-adul

[Coofle]

Dadkan waawayn ee 17 iyo 16 Jira ee danbigoodu la qorayo maxaa beenta loogu sheegaa horta....

 

Back in the good old days a 14 years old started acting like adult oo nool iyo mood wixii reerku leeyihiin lagu aamino...Aside from the Hormonal Uprising which happens to everyone They should be Treated as adults starting from 15 years old...Runtii...

 

Gaalada warkooda naga dhaafa...No more teenagers,,,There is Children and There is men, wax u dhaxeeya ma leh

[The-freeman]

Coofle;848938 wrote:

Dadkan waawayn ee 17 iyo 16 Jira ee danbigoodu la qorayo maxaa beenta loogu sheegaa horta....

 

Back in the good old days a 14 years old started acting like adult oo nool iyo mood wixii reerku leeyihiin lagu aamino...Aside from the Hormonal Uprising which happens to everyone They should be Treated as adults starting from 15 years old...Runtii...

 

Gaalada warkooda naga dhaafa...No more teenagers,,,There is Children and There is men, wax u dhaxeeya ma leh

 

Back in the “old days" people were kept as slaves, children worked like donkeys and women couldn't vote. Evolution of society is to be welcomed.

 

I'm glad they're having such discussions in America as they do sentence minors (teenagers) to life imprisonment or worse, death.

[Coofle]

The-freeman;848941 wrote:

Back in the “old days" people were kept as slaves, children worked like donkeys and women couldn't vote. Evolution of society is to be welcomed.

 

I'm glad they're having such discussions in America as they do sentence minors (teenagers) to life imprisonment or worse, death.

Sxb, Doing chores and acting responsible is not slavery, it is part of the responsibilty path,,,plus who set the 18 years old rule... a 15 years old person can completely differentiate between what is right and what is wrong , what is halaal and what is haraam...

 

If people kept putting ideas like ""You are a teenager, you are not accounted for your ill-deeds"" crime will increase and adults with child brains will be on streets..((dad waawayn oo qalbi xabxab ah))

 

Waano abuur baa ka horeysay,,,

 

I have done many kinds of chores in my days and I was happy with it, knowing I am contributing to the family , my father taught us to bear responsibility and be accountable for our actions,,,,it is not healthy to be dead weight who just consumes with no another benefit, not good for the children, parents could make you sit without doing a thing but that will have a negative feedback on you as an adult

[burahadeer]

killing humans is the worst crime imaginable,but how it sits well with 40 yr old man committed such crime & compensate for 100 camels(that's actually around $ 10,000),may be less if you count the geel kees. These kids r paying more.

[The-freeman]

I understand you're coming from an Islamic perspective which sees adulthood starts at teenage years but I view the issue from non religious perspective.

 

Though, you're right that a 15yr old would know right from wrong you cannot extrapolate from that to say someone of that age would make the same decisions as an adult of 30. The 15yr old might act on impulses without considering the long term effects of their actions.

 

Also when I mentioned kids being worked like donkeys I wasn't talking about chores (which I would agree are good) but kids having actual jobs. In the west this is no longer the case but it is still exist in other places.

[Nin-Yaaban]

Coofle;848938 wrote:

Dadkan waawayn ee 17 iyo 16 Jira ee danbigoodu la qorayo maxaa beenta loogu sheegaa horta....

 

Back in the good old days a 14 years old started acting like adult oo nool iyo mood wixii reerku leeyihiin lagu aamino...Aside from the Hormonal Uprising which happens to everyone They should be Treated as adults starting from 15 years old...Runtii...

 

Gaalada warkooda naga dhaafa...No more teenagers,,,There is Children and There is men, wax u dhaxeeya ma leh

+Boqol. Runbaad sheegtay nin yahoo.

[Coofle]

The-freeman;848944 wrote:

I understand you're coming from an Islamic perspective which sees adulthood starts at teenage years but I view the issue from non religious perspective.

 

Though, you're right that a 15yr old would know right from wrong you cannot extrapolate from that to say someone of that age would make the same decisions as an adult of 30. The 15yr old might act on impulses without considering the long term effects of their actions.

 

Also when I mentioned kids being worked like donkeys I wasn't talking about chores (which I would agree are good) but kids having actual jobs. In the west this is no longer the case but it is still exist in other places.

Every age has its own virtues, a Somali proverb goes """20 Jir ha la Lagdamin, 40 Jir ha la Garramin, 60 Jirna lexejeclo meel ha la dhigan""" as someone grows he acquires a lot of experience from his encounters even a 30 years old wouldn't take decisions of 40 years old. When young people to be liberal and adventurous but with age we become more conservative and we start dreaming lesser.....

 

I agree with you, Young children should not do Hard Menial labor (12 years old boy for instance) But a 17 years old or even a 16 years old can and should work .... What I just don't agree with is a 17 years old man who thinks of himself as a child '''''Aniga ciyaala xaafad aan ahay'''.....True Aduunka Waxa aan ka soo aragnay kamay soo arag, laakiin way is wadi karaan.