To see this offender as a “criminal first” as opposed to a child?

Well do something about it then if you don't like it.

In the meantime are you suggesting that even though he may harm or kill someone. We all have to live with it, because “what can you do” and “He’ll come a cropper one day”

Take him off the streets now.

I am old enough to know that those who do this sort of thing don’t always end up worse off in the long run

Crime for some seems to pay very well

I had my car stolen recently. The police were quite blasé in admitting they know who stole it. Describing him as a prolific car thief

I was not too worried about the car but the contents were to me priceless. Photograph albums of my children from birth. Things you cannot buy. As well as other stuff I was insured for (moving house)

It’s the fact that not only do they know who took my car, they said when they found the car that without forensic evidence they could not do anything

Did they try to find forensic evidence ….

No they said it wasn’t worth looking.

Not only did he leave his glasses, clothes and phone in the car and a whole host of other stuff from others who had been in the car. The police aren’t interested in stopping this guy until he does something that harms another person

Causing distress, depression, financially impacting someone as they are self employed and they can’t get to work, losing money on the increased insurance premiums, personal property destroyed and the chain reaction it causes apparently are not

I can understand the POV that this is a child and they shouldn’t be treated as an adult but I think the courts have the opportunity to cull this behaviour once and for all

Keeping this child off the streets for an extended period of time in a prison with others in that age group with with things like CBT therapy, and testing for any ND would have a bigger impact on the future than what the courts have the opportunity to hand out.

Personally I think the 3 strikes and you are out for a minimum 10 years would work well. Also for police to investigate the “little” crimes

Ultimately it would save money and time because there wouldn’t be the number of crimes that would be reported

How to show you don’t understand ACE without saying that you don’t understand ACE.
Maybe watch this

AND should pull the plug on the benefits money at least

Virtually every child experiences bereavement or sees violence. Doesnt mean theyre going to transform into violent little thugs.

The nastiest little scrotes I know are like that because their parents are exactly the same. Not abused, not subject to adverse events. They're a loving family towards each other, but encourage bad behaviour and hurting others.

@CowboyJoanna that is interesting (and probably accurate - socialisation is incredibly powerful). I suppose some of it rests on what you believe is an ACE. Witnessing violence is. If a child sees dad act aggressively, violently so on, that's an ACE, even if dad is kind to the child. Having worked in prisons, including youth provision, I'd say the most common ones were bereavement and witnessing violence (often DV). Almost every young person had those.

Poverty is also very very common but whether that's just because the rich ones had better lawyers, who knows?

Repeated and serious youth crimes imo should be more of a social services flag to remove them from parents.

The nastiest little scrotes I know are like that because their parents are exactly the same. Not abused, not subject to adverse events. They're a loving family towards each other, but encourage bad behaviour and hurting others.

So sorry this has happened to you, clearly not his first and only offence, he appears quite accomplished.
I do think we now need to be hauling parents into court, like they are now doing in the US when some scrote shoots up his own school. Shouldb go fo those carrying knives too in this country. Sick of parents notbtaking responsibility for their offspring.

YANBU. I dont care about "think of the children". If a kid wants to play like a big boy gangsta and commit crimes, he can spend it in prison with adults for all I care. Criminal children should be tried and imprisoned with adults as should the parents who dragged them up.

Wouldn't anybody? I know I would.

You are rightly angry and allowed to feel how you do considering what you went through. I am so sorry that happened to you.

However, crime is not about emotions. It's about understanding motivation, prevention, punishment, recidivism, ACE and so many other things. To take your points one by one.

Reading the youth sentencing guidelines online has infuriated me. Not only is the maximum punishment significantly different, but then they take into account whether the criminal came from a deprived background or has family issues etc!

ACE (adverse childhood events) shape children. You can pretend they don't but they are a very accurate way to predict the likelihood of a person offending (plus their sex, obviously). Children with multiple ACEs are much more likely to offend. And since children are children, they have had no chance to escape these ACEs in their home. Sentencing a child to prison is just giving them another ACE, probably several. Making it vastly more likely they will spend their life reoffending repeatedly. Yes, they are punished. No, it won't reduce reoffending or psychological damage.

FFS, a lot of people including their victims go through the exact same yet don’t turn to a life of crime.

There are lots of reasons for this. The age ACEs happen, the number of ACEs, protective factors like involved parents or other safe adults, brain plasticity, poverty, peers, sex, race, area, diversion things like youth programs, all things children have very little control over.

It’s just ironic that as a “youth” he was confident enough to decide to commit multiple robberies in a callous and cruel manner - but now gets his hand held throughout the process and a likely slap on the wrist to make sure he’s okay.

It's not ironic. It's a reflection of justice, rather than revenge.

If you want to reduce offending and particularly youth offending, we need lots of really important things to happen. More funding for children's programs, schools, DV provision, healthcare, policing so many things. But locking more children up for longer will increase offending. Not reduce it.

Again, horrible, traumatic thing that happened and anger is completely understandable. And it's much easier to be angry at him than his abusive father, disinterested mother, the people who were violent around his, the policies that reduced his chances, the schools that failed him because of funding, the closed sure start centre, the drinking in his pregnancy and on and on. But that sort of thing is to blame. As much as he is.

What crimes aren't adult crimes? Scrumping?

bergamotorange · Today 17:07

The OP is clearly thinking about the perpetrator a lot.

Do you think that there might be very good reasons why? You know, what with him just mugging her violently and all?

I do not support any violent offender.

I always have thought about what type of childhood have they had and what type of experiences have they had to deal with. Some children do turn their lives around with the right guidance. Whilst they’re a child they should be treated accordingly.

Why on earth would his life story be of any interest or relevance to op?!