Arecentdraftlawamendmentwhichwouldlowertheminimumageforadministrativedetentionfrom16to14hasbecomethecenterpieceofdiscussioninChina.
Asoneoftheharshestadministrativepunishments,detentionappliestoactsthatseverelyviolatetheadministrationofpublicsecuritybutdonotconstitutecrimes.Thedetentionisusuallylessthan20days.ThispunishmentinthecurrentLawonPenaltiesforAdministrationofPublicSecurityappliestooffendersover16.TheamendmentreleasedbytheMinistryofPublicSecuritytosolicitpublicopinionsinFebruaryliftedtheprovisiononexemptingoffendersaged14to16fromtheadministrativedetentionpenaltyandchangedtherangeofagesthatspecifiesanexemptionforfirst-timeoffendersfrom16-18to14-18.
Thedraftamendmentisseenasaresponsetorisingconcernsoverminoroffenders,especiallythoseinvolvedinschoolbullyingandviolence.Afterreleased,ithasmetbothapplauseandconcernforovercorrection.
Supporterssayadministrativedetentionisaneffectivedeterrenthelpingstopescalatingissuesofschoolviolence.Othersarguethatexcessivelyharshpunishmentmaycauseminorsirredeemablepsychologicaldamages.Persuasionorguidanceismoreeffectivewhentryingtocorrectjuveniles,theysay.
ConWangYingJuveniledelinquencyprosecutor
Loweringtheminimumageforadministrativedetentionwillprobablyhelpreducejuveniledelinquencyrateforashortperiodoftime,butwillbringprofoundnegativeeffectsinthelongrun.
Theagefrom14to16isacrucialperiodforteenagerstodevelopsympathyforothers.Theterribletraumacausedbyincarcerationwillleadtoirrecoverabledamageonbrainfunctionhelpingdevelopsuchsympathy.
Minorsexperiencetimeinadifferentwayfromadults.Adultsareabletodealwithpsychologicaldiscomfortcausedbydetentionbecausetheyaremature.Butthedeprivationoffreedomevenforashorttimeisanightmareforminorsandwillresultinlong-termpsychologicaldamages.Theymayalsobecomeevenmoreaggressiveasaresultofthedetentionpunishment.
ChenHuaPsychologyprofessor
ProTheamendmentisreasonable.Withtheimprovementoflivelihood,teenagersbecomematuremuchearlierbothphysicallyandpsychologically.Atthesametime,theyaretroubledbythreeimbalances.Thefirstisanimbalancebetweenphysicalandpsychologicaldevelopmentwithphysicalmaturityoutpacingmentalmaturity.Asaresult,theydevelopneedsthataresupposedtobeexclusivetoadults,whilenotbeingabletomanagethemwell.Second,theyfaceanimbalancebetweensenseandsensibility.Theyeasilybecomeemotionalandareunabletofacetheirproblemsinacalmway.Thisleadsthemtorecklesslyengageinmisdeeds.Thethirdisanimbalancebetweenindividualneedsandsocialdemands,astheyaremostlyegocentricandunabletoseethewholepicture.Undersuchcircumstances,gentlelecturingorpersuasionwillnoteffectivelymakethembehave.
Chinaholdsarelativelytolerantattitudetowardjuveniledelinquency.Violentoffencesbyminorslikeschoolbullyingareseverelypunishedinmanyothercountries.InChina,however,thereislackoflegalprovisionstopunishthem.Besides,applyingdetentionpunishmenttominorsabove14helpsyoungpeopletocorrecttheirmisunderstandingthattheydon鈥檛havetofaceconsequencesforwhattheydobecausetheyareyoung.
ProShiJingLawyer
Juveniledelinquencyhasbeenaheadachetopublicsecuritydepartmentsforalongtime.Giventhecurrentpublicsecurityadministrationrulesforbiddetainingoffendersunder16,crimesinvolvingminorshavebecomemorefrequent.Somecriminalgangseventakeadvantageofthelawsprotectingminorstoemployteenagersunder16andabetthemincommittingcrimesforillegalgains.
Withmanychildrensufferingfromviolentschoolbulliesinrecentyears,loweringtheminimumageforadministrativedetentionwilldeterbulliesandprotectthemajorityofminors.AstheCriminalLawstipulatesthatjuvenilesaged14to16willnotbeheldcriminallyliableforminorcrimestheycommitted,someescapefromthepenaltytheydeserve.Justice,therefore,isnotupheld.
Asforconcernsthatdeprivationoffreedomwillcausepsychologicaldamagestominors,Ithinktherearesolutionstothis.Duringdetention,wecanprovideminorviolatorswithenoughcareandpsychologicalcounselingandseparatethemfromadultoffenders.Inthisway,theywillnotrespondwithextrememeans,andwilllearnthelesson.
ConZhaoLiangshanLawyer
Inpuberty,juvenilestendtoberebelliousanddeveloppsychologicalproblems.Oneimportantreasonforthemtocommitcrimesduringthisperiodisthattheyarenotgivenenoughloveandsupervision.Besides,peopleaged14to16arenotmatureenoughtoassumeresponsibilityforwhattheydo.Inviewofthese,theearlydetentionofjuvenileswillnotstopthemfromcommittingwrongdoings,butwillgoagainsttheprincipleofprotectingminors.
Teenagersshouldbeguidedinsteadofpunished.Family,schoolandcommunitycanplaytheirrespectivedueroleinpreventingandcorrectingjuveniledelinquency.Forexample,theschoolorcommunitycanestablishsupportinggroupstohelptheminorsstepbystep.Asguardians,parentsaresuggestedtobetterperformtheirdutiesandgivechildrendueguidance.
LIISHIGONGProWangShanpingMediacommentator
Loweringtheageforadministrativedetentionwilleffectivelydeterminorsfrombreachingthelaw.Inrecentyears,theissueofworseningschoolbullyingandviolencehasraisedwidespreadconcerns.Lackofeffectivepenaltiesisoneofthereasonsbehindthis.Inreality,gentlereasoning,lecturingorpersuadingusuallyfailtostopsomebulliesfromhurtingothersorengaginginviolence.
Objectivelyspeaking,comparedtothepunishmentslikewarningandfining,administrativedetentionisoneofthemostpowerfuldeterrents.Incarcerationforfiveto15dayswillforceminorstomakeathoroughself-examinationtorealizetheseverityoftheirmisdeedsandgivethemachancetostartanew.Receivingawarning,inmanyminors鈥檈yes,isnodifferentfrombeingcriticizedbyateacher,thelightestpunishmentforviolatingschoolregulations.Therefore,minorsareunabletolearntheirlessonandrealizethesolemnityoflaw.
AccordingtoChina鈥檚CriminalLaw,peopleundertheageof14havenocriminalliability.Juvenilesbetweentheageof14and16shouldonlybeliableforseverecrimeslikemurder.Peopleof16andaboveshouldfacefullcriminalliability.Suchstipulationsleadtoaproblemthatnoeffectivepunishmentcanbeimposedonminoroffendersaged14to16aslongastheycommitnoseverecrimes.Butwhentheydo,itisalreadytoolatetosavethem.Therefore,administrativedetentioncanserveasatransitionalmeasuretotimelycorrecttheminorsandpreventthemfromgoingdownthewrongpath.
ConYeZhushengLawprofessor
Loweringtheminimumageforadministrativedetentionwillnotpreventmisdeeds,butmaybringcatastrophicconsequencesandevenworsencurrentissues.
Inviewofminors鈥檓entalvulnerability,incarceratingjuvenileswhobreachedpublicsecurityadministrationruleswillnothelpthemcorrecttheirbadbehavior,butdeprivethemofopportunitiestoreshapetheirvaluesandmorality.Asenseofbeingmarginalizedmayleadthemastrayonceagain.
Administrativepunishmentsaretargetedatminorviolatorswhosebehaviordoesnotconstitutecrimes.Minors鈥檓isbehaviorsaretotallydifferentfrommaliciouscrimes,anddonotdeserveaseverepunishmentlikedetention.
Itisnotappropriatetoapplypublicsecurityadministrationpenaltiestojuveniledelinquencybecauseallminorsgothroughaperiodofrebellionintheirteenageyears.Insteadofsuccumbingtocoercivemeans,theymaybecomeevenmorerebelliousandaggressive.Somemayevendevelopvindictivefeelingsandtwistedvalues,eventuallyslidingintoanabyssofcrimes.