Comparison of United States Juvenile Justice System and China (Essay Sample)

Juvenile System in American and China
Name
Institution
Juvenile System in American and China
Introduction
r. The two approaches are separated from each other distinctively, which differentiates the approach of dispensing justice. The court cases for the juveniles are not heart in the mainstream courts (Ramirez, 2008). In addition, the rehabilitation services provided to the juveniles do stem from the independent providers. In essence, the current justice system in America recognizes the differences between juveniles and adults, which assigns fewer punishments to the juveniles. The justice system understands that the juveniles have the ability to change their behaviors, which makes the system accommodate the reform-based perception for the juveniles.
Just like in America, juvenile protection and delinquency are critical issues that attract the attention of the society in China (Scott, 2008). The juveniles that are affected by the environmental factors, whether they are artificial, natural, social, or technological, are believed to be the cause of poor juvenile mental and physical health, mortality, and juvenile socialization. Between 1949 and 1979, the criminal justice system in the People's Republic of China didn't use criminology in controlling and governing public law and order. It can be noted that the social changes in China led to the transformation of the criminal justice system. The surge in a number of delinquent children forced the government to intervene. Researchers and scholars developed research methods and criminology theories to help in managing the problem. Recently, the country has developed elaborate measures and strategies aimed at improving the effectiveness of juvenile law (Ramirez, 2008). The advent of communication and technological changes has enabled the Chinese scholars and researchers to exchange information with international friends and colleagues.
China has been making strides in upgrading the juvenile system since its establishment thirty years ago in the efforts to offer children offenders a safe place to reform and change their ways. Since its establishment in 1984, the justice system in China has increased steadily to 2,253 juvenile tribunals (Benda, 2000). However, the number of juvenile criminals have reduced significantly. Researchers attribute to the lower number of juvenile criminals to changes in the criminal procedure laws. The laws gave the prosecutor the powers to decide whether to cancel the case when the juvenile plead guilty, especially if the crime attracted a sentence less than a year. The offenders can be given community work instead of prison sentencing. These efforts give the offenders the time to reflect on their action to help them change their ways. These efforts have led to healthier and safer environment for the young generation (Scott, 2008). Policies have been developed to help curb crimes and educate the juveniles’ effects of crime.
Similarly, in America, there have been commitment and efforts geared towards changing the social values. For instance, the justice system reacted harshly with increased in a number of juvenile offenders by providing harsher punishment (Ramirez, 2008). The change in the law and order strategy focused on delineating the juvenile from the adult offenders. The minors, in this case, enjoyed more protection compared to previous instances. The changes are attributable to the increased number of researchers and studies that embraces developmental model in reforms. Reforms such as rehabilitation have been fronted to tackle the challenge of juvenile delinquency. Scholar believes that the approach is critical in helping the juvenile to change their ways. The responsibility of the transforming the lives of the juveniles is placed on the community. Reformers in the juvenile justice system believe that alternative sentencing and outreach programs are essential in reducing child delinquency.
Despite the fact that Chinese are considered religious, their moral and cultural values are interwoven with the judicial system as they embrace higher levels if integrity, justice, and fairness. According to Scott (2008), the justice system for juveniles holds the view that the courts should not dispense justice with complex legal issues, but with a human relationship. They believe that the societal values are essential in changing the individual attitudes and behaviors. They embrace the moral and religious traditions that change the way children are treated. Retaliation and revenge are not emphasized in the cultural and religious norms of the Chinese society. The society holds a high moral value that dictates how the young offenders are expected to live their lives.
On the other hand, in America, religion and education play a critical role in reducing crime rates among the juveniles. The government and society have invested capital and resources on the public schooling of juveniles to promote their academic endeavors. The religious practices reflect the ability of the children to attend school, pursue further education, and perform well in school (Benda, 2000). The parental religious practice has an impact on the way the children behave. Higher education levels help in communicating better educational expectations. The children are taught the essence of establishing better friendships, work hard in school, and respect for laws and authority in religious institutions. It can be established that students who attend schools that based their values and teaching on religious teachings do exhibit higher academic achievement as well as ethical values. Cultural values play a critical role in reducing the crimes in society; hence, the need for society to understand that religious teachings help in reducing child delinquency.
Children delinquency in children is caused by lack of parental support, bad peer influence, and poor decision-making. There are many problems that children undergo in their daily lives and lack of moral guidance from the parents and peers makes them develop bad behaviors. Peer pressure and bad influence from his friends in school have caused children to behave badly and end up killing. Parental and teachers guidance is essential in avoiding such problems in society (Benda, 2000). In many instances, the children commit crimes in efforts of seeking attention from their parents and the society. Lack of clear decision-making skills affects the behavior of the children in facing the reality in their life. Many children f...