Danny Phan

Ms. Moore

ERWC

February 28th, 2017

Second Chances

Many teens and young children that are under the age of 18, do lead a life based on crime

and lawfulness. In many cases, Juvenile Departments handle the situation by giving the young

offenders by charging presses and penalties on the juvenile delinquent. Probation, detention,

court, and many more have come to the play when it occurs. Although, when young teen

offenders are wavered for a justice system tried as an adult for committing a heinous crime such

as 1st or 2nd degree murder, they would be considered for a second chance and be charged as a

juvenile instead. Childrens crime should have a second consideration since they are simply not

psychologically developed enough to deal in a prison environment.

Because of the actions the young offender has done, it leads to the audience to think that

the juveniles should be tried as an adult in order for that person to mature better and to learn

better from the adult criminals. I believe that isnt the case. Teens and children that are the age of

under 18 are not fully developed until the age of 25. But instead, brain tissue occurs when doing

your everyday life. An example would be a student sitting down on their desk learning and trying

to do work. During their session, they are losing brain tissue. In the article, Startling Finds on

Teenage Brains, Thompson claims that, Gray matter, which brain researchers believe supports

all our thinking and emotions, is purged at a rate of 1 percent to 2 percent a year during this

period. Stranger still, brain cells and connections are only being lost in the areas controlling
impulses, risk-taking, and self-control.(Thompson 7). This shows that as teens develop through

age, they have little to no thinking before they do their actions. This occurs to the relation that

kids dont think about the consequences before they kill their parents. Therefore, they are not

fully developed and ready to be tried as an adult and be held at adult prison.

I believe that society does play a major role in a childs development as they been raised

and grew up. If the child was raised in a violent environment where their parents mentally and

physically abuse them or have them witness something cruel, it is most likely the child will do

the same as he grows up. The audience have to realize that there are people who influences us

and changes our character to who we are now. An example would be from the article. Greg

Ousley is Sorry For Killing His Parents. whereas Greg Ousley kills his parents based on the

way they treated him. Anderson expresses that, What Phillips couldnt see was that Gregs

behavior masked a rapidly deteriorating home life, where he was now the sole focus of his

mothers rages. Almost daily, Greg told me, his mother would rip into him about something

his grades, his appearance, his choice of friends ferocious tirades that often culminated in her

telling him, I know youre going to leave me just like your sisters did.(Anderson 40)

I agree that young offenders do deserve a second chance because of my experience with

friends confirms it. Being tormented by their parents like being treated as if they were worthless

is never a good view to witness at a young age. Andersons theory of young offenders doing their

crime because of how they were nurtured and raised is extremely useful because it sheds insight

on the difficult problem of decreasing juvenile crime rate. Greg Ousley didnt want to kill just

for his pleasure but for the reason that he was confused and was tired of being treated like trash.
No child should be treated like that and that is one of the major reasons why teens and children

under 18 commit crimes based on their nurturing.