Should the age of criminal responsibility be raised to 16 or even 18 across the world?

[sippincoffee]

 Leave thoughts below. Here is some text regarding this.

The age of criminal responsibility is the age at which it is possible to be charged with a crime and put on trial. The Beijing Rules for juvenile justice were adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1985. They say that the age of criminal responsibility "shall not be fixed at too low an age level, bearing in mind the facts of emotional, mental and intellectual maturity". However, the age of criminal responsibility varies greatly across the world. It ranges from 6 in North Carolina or 7 in India, South Africa, Singapore and most of the United States of America, to 17 in France and Poland and 18 in Brazil and Belgium. There has recently been much talk in England and Wales, where the age is now 10, about whether this should be raised.
It is also important to know that some countries have a rule called ‘doli incapax’. This involves an assumption that children over a certain age can be criminally responsible but an individual child might not be. Under ‘doli incapax’ a child’s lawyers can try to prove that they are not sufficiently mature for such responsibility. If the defence team is successful the child cannot be found guilty.
There are generally two major issues in this debate. Firstly, at what age are children grown-up enough to understand the difference between right and wrong, and the consequences of their actions? Secondly, at what age can children understand and take part in the criminal justice system and the trial process?

[othermom]

Thats tough I like the one that says one child may be considered old enough and another might now. I think it should also depend on the crime. Age 7-8 would be to young to really understand murder or anything like that, but should be old enough to know that stealing any stuff like that are not allowed.

[justmeplusthree]

Quoting othermom:

Thats tough I like the one that says one child may be considered old enough and another might now. I think it should also depend on the crime. Age 7-8 would be to young to really understand murder or anything like that, but should be old enough to know that stealing any stuff like that are not allowed.