Juvenile Justice System
The widespread criticism against China’s juvenile justice system, especially on social media platforms, raises concerns over the appropriate age of crime liability. A recent surge in juvenile crimes reveals several critical factors that shape people’s attitudes concerning its effectiveness. For instance, the curve of juvenile sexual assault cases is rising. Consequentially, the juvenile justice system in the country consistently receives the spotlight because of perceptions regarding its leniency. The following features characterize the justice system.
Higher Age Limit for Criminal Responsibility
The age for criminal responsibility is considerably higher in China than in other countries. The country’s justice system safeguards minors below 14 years from prosecution and reduces charges for minors between the ages of fourteen and sixteen (Jarmuth, 2020). The global average age for criminal liability is fourteen years, but some countries, like the United Kingdom, have no limits. The current provisions send juvenile offenders below fourteen years to their families for discipline despite no training concerning appropriate responses to delinquent behavior.
An Integration of Informal and Formal Frameworks
China uses correctional institutions and links within informal grassroots to regulate juvenile delinquency. However, insufficient training at the informal level as evidenced by high volunteer turnover and insufficient staffing, impedes the efficacy of China’s model of intervention. For the above-stated reason, critics espouse an addition of formal elements that do not mirror the Westernized models because of sociocultural differences.
Emphasis on Rehabilitation and Diversion from Custodial Sentences
China’s frameworks of delinquency interventions consider the contributions of family relationships, peer group influence, and value systems to the rise of delinquent behavior (Reichel, 2018). Most juvenile offenders have better educational backgrounds, but findings show they lack jobs upon exposure to formal charges. Experts posit that a paucity of sexual education in schools and early familiarity with online adult content conduces to a spike in sexual crimes among juveniles.
References
Jarmuth, A. (2020). Reforming China’s Juvenile Justice System: Progress or Regress? Web.
Reichel, Philip L. (2018). Comparative Criminal Justice Systems. A topical Approach- 7th Edition. Pearson.