A new study has found that children are more likely to plead guilty when they are actually innocent. Many would like to believe that the criminal justice system is only for adults and that it is not something a child would ever have to worry about. However, there are children everywhere facing legal problems for committing crimes. Children and youth commit crimes for many reasons and they are entitled to the same fair legal system as adults, but when it comes time to plead their stance in court, it looks like children are taking responsibility for crimes that they do not commit.
According to PHYS and The Justice Gap, a study may be showing that children are more likely to plead guilty to a crime when they didn’t even commit it. This can be a concern for the legal system and may point to necessary changes that need to be made.
This study may point out that children who are in trouble with the law need more support and protection. The study showed that children’s brains work differently than adults do and they are more sensitive to pressure and rewards. This means it is easier to incentivize a child to admit to a crime that they did not commit.
This is something that may seem familiar to parents in their everyday lives. An example would be that a vase is broken, and none of the children want to “fess up.” Mom says that no one will get any dessert unless the person who broke it admits it. Sometimes, a mom may have a child admit to it to get the reward, but they didn’t even do it. It works the same way in the justice system. These “vulnerabilities” are just a part of child development, and lawyers should be aware of these when supporting their clients through a plead.
The study was done by the University of Exeter, and the researchers found that children are overwhelmingly admitting guilt when innocent because they make decisions differently than adults. They are stating that it is not appropriate to put children in situations where they will admit guilt when they are innocent.
The argument was that pleading guilty can sometimes get a reduction in correction time, however, the experts are saying that this should not be the case for children. The amount of “time” they get for a crime should be based on their age and their individual case, and not on what they plead.
Sources: PHYS, The Justice Gap