How come if a seven year old murders someone, they get away with it?

Question

I have heard a story on the news were a seven year old stabbed a 14 year old girl, and got away with it. Then a man said that any one under 10 can literally get away with murder. I mean, come on, ten, I think that is a little over the top. Why?

Answer 1

i heard about this as well

it sound pretty screwed up

i think that he should be punished but not taken to court

because after all he is only kids

its freaky that someone could train a kid to kill for them though  

Answer 2

yea that is kind of rediculous but they say at that age a childs mind is still developing but i think they should still be given consequences so they learn rite from wrong..

Answer 3

When you are young, you don't have enough self control to keep stop yourself from having "emotion attacks" known as tantrums. During these, you can't tell right from wrong and all you want to do is get to your goal. By the age of 10, you get a grip on self control, stopping these "emotion attacks" from happening as often. Another reason why they let them get away with murder is because they don't want to ruin a child's life by saying that they've been to juvee or jail at such a young age.

Answer 4

Your right.  Send that little boy to prison for life.  We as a society have to draw lines.  Seven not young enough?  How about six?  Five?  So, we draw a line and seven is under it.  As they get older, we balance one way or another.  It has to be done.  

For all of that, some 14 year olds are mature enough to drive, and many 16 year olds not.  Lines in the sand.

Answer 5

Have you been watching Law and Order?  If a 7 year old kills another child, he is not held responsible for his actions. Usually, they are put under observation, and as you say, gets nothing more than a slap of the hand. Where would you put a seven year if he was deemed competant!? In the adult jails? I think not!  Anyway, It's the parents of the child are should be held responsible for the child's actions! Where were they when he stabbed the girl!?

Answer 6

it would be wrong because they are still learning. it would be like a 50 year old man who stabbed a 14 year old girl but he was mentally challenged. because they probably didnt know what they were doing because they just saw it on tv or something

Answer 7

Despite what a lot of people think, a 7 year old mind is developmentally and psychologically incapable of fully understanding the cause and effect of injury to the body.  They are not educated in the makeup and function of the human body, and therefore do not understand the full consequences of what happens when the body becomes damaged.

The 7 year old knew they felt anger and they expressed it by using whatever "outlet" they knew - one they learned from one or more outside influences.  They merely follow what they have witnessed others do in similar situations (ie., tv or video games) because there's no big neon sign reminding parents to neutralize those influences by educating the child on the use and consequences violent actions.

Answer 8

omg... he probely didnt know what a bad child

Answer 9

Their brains are literally underdeveloped, and they are not physically capable of controlling their impulses, forming moral decisions, or connecting actions to long term consequences to anywhere near the same degree as an adult.

Answer 10

Some would say they don't know right from wrong yet, but I don't buy that. I think that's some sort of mental disorder, and they shouldn't be free.

Answer 11

its probably because the law thinks that kids 10 and under are influenced by their parents and the media or whatever so it's not really their fault. they probably think that the child is just copying what he/she saw (i think is kinda bs)

Answer 12

Depends which country you are in, but under the law a child normally cannot be tried as an adult. They may be able to know right from wrong but that doesn't mean they can make a mature, informed decision like a normal adult can.

I know what you are saying though - the 7 yr old you are talking about probably has some serious issues and needs to be in some sort of institution to rehabilitate him or keep him from harming others.