The development of adolescent teenagers and young adults, according to researchers, illustrate that these stages of life are represented by rapid change. However, the age threshold at which criminal responsibility may be made should be examined. For instance, as much as 20 as I previously mentioned to be the likely threshold age, at 19, a person’s reasoning may not be different than in a 20-year old. However, the regions within the brain linked to response inhibition, risk, and equal reward calibration, and emotional regulations in a 19-year old would often still be similar to other younger teenagers. Therefore, the complex needs and reasoning at 19 should not be treated similarly to those offenders who have already reached 20.
Most of the problems associated with a 19-year-old such as substance abuse and cognitive immaturity characterize undeveloped populations of criminal justice. Nevertheless, age variations like 19 and 20 may not show an emotional, physical and social reaction or response inconsistency. Since the difference is not clear enough to be made into law and applied to all, it is vital to compound the age threshold using some assistance from psychological experts, as you mentioned. Therefore, rather than applying a stable age threshold, licensed psychiatrists should be consulted in such matters. At these two ages, one would argue that their maturity rate may vary considerably. Due to these diverse development trajectories, a particular age threshold at certain life stages, like in this case of 19 and 20 years of age may not be an ideal approach. Licensed professionals like psychiatrists should be used to determine a defendant’s competency in comparison with adult-reasoning. Equally, charges should be made following the expert results to decide if one is more comparable to an adult or juvenile justice system.
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Committing a crime requires actus reus, a bad act, and mens rea, guilty intent. There is no global consensus on the age of criminal responsibility. Within the United States, there are over 30 states with no minimum age of criminal responsibility. In my opinion, in addition to actus reus and mens rea, children need to understand or be aware of the consequences of their actions that supersede punishments enforced in the home. Children truly have an ignorance of the law that can be excused in most instances. As such, the minimum age for criminal responsibility should be increased to 12 years of age for so-call status crimes. Children between at least 12 years old but younger than 18 years old who commit serious crimes should be considered for adult criminal prosecutions. In this age range, you have been introduced to various institutional and societal rules that sets expectations for you to comply when not in the presence of your parents.
