Role of Cognitive Development in Trying Juveniles as...

In the United States, you are considered an adult at 18-years old. With age comes a plethora of other privledges. You can drive at 16 with a proper drivers license, legally engage in intercourse at 17, vote and purchase cigarrettes at 18 and purchase and consume alcohol at 21. Although there is one age restriction that hasnt been set in stone. In the justice system, one may be considered an adult at 18 and be tried as such. The option of being tried as an adult hangs on many circumstances. If the individual commited a serious crime, such as armed robbery, rape, or murder, then they may be tried as an adult. If the individual was tried as an adult in an earlier case, then they will continue to do so indefinetly. The†¦show more content†¦Scientists in this field, such as Lawrence Kohlberg ( known for his theory of moral development) and Jean Piaget ( known for his epistemological studies with children) study the construction of the human brain and its understanding of the wo rld. Modern cognitive scientists have come up with a new theory about the mind. After doing an experiment involving an MRI of the human brain from ages two to twenty-two, they have conluded that the human brain is not fully developed until at least 25 years old. This means that the justice system may be incorrect in trying juvinilles as adults in court cases. What is the proper age that a person is considered an adult? Adolecents lack the ability to make rational judgements and control sudden impulses when under stress. Their descions are usually lacking in sense if it was made based purely upon the emotion at hand (fear, anger, and nervousness illicit the most dangerous reactions). Young adults are more likely to take focus on the current situation rather than the consequences of the future. Teen judgement is skewed because of a great deal of emotion going into their thinking, leading them to make irrational judgements. According to scientists, the brain develops from the back to the front. The frontal lobe, which is mainly responsible for executive processes (judgement, weighing outcomes and decision making) is not fully mature. TheShow MoreRelatedSocial Psychological Theories Of Criminal Behavior1494 Words   |  6 Pagessubjective life experiences, such as the development of one’s identity, cognitive and emotional processes, and the capacity to make choices.† (Listenbee, 2014 p.1.) Utilizing social aspects of the past and present criminal justice agencies can predict the type of life that may be lived by the young adult, whether it is a criminally active life-style or more conformed to the civilities of society. 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