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In New York, the criminal accountability age for children has just gotten a dramatic makeover. While it used to be that any child over the age of 7 was prosecuted for their criminal activities as juveniles, this new law hangs children over to social workers instead of law enforcement. Democrats think this will do more good than harm but we all know the answer to that.

In a move that has taken parents and guardians alike by surprise, New York will no longer prosecute children under the age of twelve for most crimes. This decision to let these young criminals walk away with a slap on the wrist – or perhaps more accurately, a pat on the back –  sets an alarming precedent in regard to how society is teaching child accountability. It’s crucial for children to understand that there are consequences for their actions. Otherwise, how can we expect them to make wise choices in their future? 

Town Hall reports, In New York state, most crimes committed by children under 12 will no longer be prosecuted or arrested. 

Children between the ages of seven and 18 who committed a crime were previously charged as juvenile delinquents. Children under the age of 12 who commit a crime will now be referred to their local social services department for treatment rather than going to court, thanks to a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hocul

Here is what WIVB and what law enforcement had to say weeks before the New Year.

Social services provide voluntary programs, so if a child who commits a crime doesn’t want to participate, they don’t have to. Approximately 800 children under the age of 12 were arrested in the state in 2019. 

New York-based attorney Barry Covert told WIVB that the new policy would keep children from going through the court system for committing a “low-level crime.”

Here is the reason the attorney gave for why they don’t want to prosecute these children. You aren’t ready for this.

Yep, you heard that right.

The state senator from New York, Jamal Bailey, a Democrat, said “children are subjected to so much trauma when they are incarcerated at an early age.” Bailey also noted that kids “can only bear so much” after experiencing the COVID-19 epidemic.

According to ABC-affiliated outlet WHAM, Sen. Jeremy Cooney said the bill “prevents children from becoming entrenched in the criminal justice system,” adding that “it’s about age-appropriate responses designed to support children in need of help.”

Jim VanBrederode, a former police chief in Gates, New York, told the outlet that children who commit crimes should be held accountable and that the new policy is “risky.”

VanBrederode said he has seen kids getting younger and younger commit violent acts over the course of his 37-year career. It’s risky to just set the age at 12 and make it black and white.”

It is vitally important to hold children accountable for minor misdeeds from a young age. If the child is allowed to get away with these thefts and misdemeanors, then it can become their normal behavior as they enter into the teenage years. It is common sense that rebelling teens who have gotten away with criminal acts are much less likely to be curbed by parental supervision or police intervention. This has been exacerbated by far-left politics that have distorted traditional family values; many parents find themselves unsure of how strict to be when dealing with behavioral issues. Without imparting a sense of consequence for their choices, how can children ever understand right and wrong? The answer is clear – holding children accountable early on is the responsibility of all parents.

Let’s continue this conversation, in the comments below.