Juvenile Crime and Treatment: Causes of Adolescent Atrocity
             In a small town like Haddon Township, crime does not seem like a serious issue. Small crimes such as vandalism may be looked at as immense. In other parts of the country though, crime is much more serious. There are places where teenagers are being convicted of murder. Some of these teenagers are also receiving the death penalty. The United States is one of the only four countries in the world who puts minors on death row. The juvenile crime rate in America has been increasing steadily for years.
             "A young black man, Shareef Cousin, has been put on death row for a crime he was convicted of, killing a 25-year old white man. Shareef was only 16 when he was convicted and sentenced" (Farley). Most of the teens who are convicted of committing these murders have experienced some sort of abuse at some point in their lives. "Robert Anthony Carter was put on death row for crimes he allegedly committed then he was 17. Carter was a victim of child abuse. He had been hit in the head with a brick, baseball bat, dinner plates, to name a few. His abuse and injuries weren't treated. His IQ is 74 making him semiretarded. This information was not brought up at his trial and could have significantly changed the outcome" (Farley). In the United Sates, "Twelve out of 50 states have juveniles on death row" (Atlanta). Why are we one of only a few countries who dares to put a juvenile on death row?
             "Among the adolescents on death row, the family histories revealed distinctive signs such as sexual abuse, violence between parents, extreme violence with weapons by
             family members, physical abuse, parental alcoholism, and parental psychiatric hospitalizations" (Crespi 353). Child abuse has a substantial effect on many juvenile, as well as hardened, criminals. "The adolescents were ashamed by
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