Atrocities in which children commit grave crimes are, in terms of absolute numbers, rare. However, the shocking nature of these acts nonetheless makes them all the more notable in the eyes of the public, as some people worry purportedly isolated cases are anything but, rather reflecting dangerous trends toward juvenile delinquency. As outlined by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and others, a juvenile offense, that is, one committed by someone 18 years or younger or an individual who has not yet reached the age of majority in that State, may not be prosecuted as such.
Along the lines of thinking of many, for some juvenile violent crimes, the character of the crime is grievous enough to outweigh considerations of protection under juvenile law. In its tallies of arrests per year of underage crime, the OJJDP may very well consider a juvenile offense of this ilk to be a “violent crime.” Such charges that may earn this distinction include robbery, assault, statutory rape, manslaughter, and murder.
As noted, a particularly severe juvenile offense or a pattern of criminal behavior may take a child out of juvenile court where he or she would have been protected by the nature of the court to find for a non-criminal punishment. Severe juvenile violent crimes may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law in a criminal court subject to the opinions of a jury of average people. Moreover, these proceedings may be open to the public if the minor is tried as an adult, so the accused juvenile will not be spared anonymity.
In terms of repercussions and sentencing, a bone of contention with child rights advocates, some guilty parties may earn themselves a trip to State or Federal prison with adult convicts based on the severity of their crime. In fact, some who commit juvenile violent crimes may be sentenced to life without parole.
