Youth Violence

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate April 2001

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The Truth Behind Youth Violence and Why Crime Rates Continue to Increase Rita Kramer's, " Juvenile Justice Is Delinquent", is a very well written argumentative essay that lacks only specific examples, or cases. Kramer does a great job at proving her point and arguing her view throughout her essay, by stating the obvious problems with the Juvenile Justice system, and using statistics to back up her thesis. However, more impact could have been added to the essay, catching the readers attention even further, if she would have mentioned at least one of the juvenile cases the courts have been faced with throughout the past year. One of these amazingly hard to believe stories, that have hit headlines and news stands everywhere, would have helped Kramer prove how dramatically violence committed by the youth has increased, and how serious it has become.

Kramer begins her essay very strongly, with a tone of frustration and anger toward the Juvenile Justice System.

Referring to the Juvenile Courts Kramer states, "instead of solving societies ills, it has added to them". Right away Kramer states her thesis, and gives us a taste of her true feelings. She doesn't hold back, but instead she is straightforward and honest. When writing an argumentative essay, this proves to be effective. Readers know from the beginning that she is writing out of concern, not just writing to convince.

In the third paragraph, Kramer begins to state her case. She does this by arguing the fact that children who commit a crime are not held, " Criminally responsible"¦ by reason of infancy". She then explains to the reader that our justice system has been this way since the 1950's. Kramer states, " The 1950's delinquent, who might have been a shoplifter"¦ or a car theif, would not be treated like...