Greater protection for children in conflict with the law: A move for a comprehensive juvenile justice system

• Main Authors: Campos, Maria Paz Geraldine J., Tria, Grace Sarah S.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2005
• Subjects: Child welfare > Philippines; Children > Legal status, laws, etc. > Philippines; Commercial Law
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/18278
• Institution: De La Salle University

When someone wrongs another, a yearning for redress, punishment or retribution naturally springs from the latter. To preserve societal order, those who break the law are put in jail to protect the rest of the citizenry. But what are we to do when the one who breaks the law is a child? How does our criminal justice justice system treat the juvenile offender? Children, who are supposed to be the future of our country, are locked up and thrown in jail in order to pay debts to society. But society is more sinning than sinned against for if it were otherwise delinquency would be non existent. The State is in a bind. They have to put the child away in order to protect the greater good, however to place the child in a penal institution with adults who have committed crimes does not make sense either. The child's actions are brought about by many other factors that have to be dealt with and treated so that the child will be able to fully understand the extend of his/her actions. Youthful offenders should not be seen as criminals and therefore detention will not help them. While it is true that lessons should be learned and punishment is needed to reinforce the same, it is definitely not in their best interest to detain them in jails with hardened criminals. There are other steps to be taken for their rehabilitation, institutions should be established to help them and the system must protect these children. Leaving the child in jail with other hardened criminals is not going to work to the benefit of the child, on the contrary this may leave adverse effects on the child as the child will not be getting the help that they really need. With these thoughts in mind, the group would like to see a move for A juvenile justice system that provides legal protection and an objective standard for treatment. These alternatives may be the answer to protect our children and ensure that they will be able to become valuable members of society and not remain in the funk of turning to a life of crime.