Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people
Taking together all the evidence on the aetiology, development and differential processes of delinquent behaviour from childhood to adulthood, we dispose of important new evidence from the neurosciences, which, compared to traditional criminological, developmental, psychological and sociological evi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Vilnius University Press
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Kriminologijos studijos |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.journals.vu.lt/kriminologijos-studijos/article/view/24932 |
| _version_ | 1818350230886678528 |
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| author | Frieder Dünkel Bernd Geng Daniel Passow Gintautas Sakalauskas |
| author_facet | Frieder Dünkel Bernd Geng Daniel Passow Gintautas Sakalauskas |
| author_sort | Frieder Dünkel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Taking together all the evidence on the aetiology, development and differential processes of delinquent behaviour from childhood to adulthood, we dispose of important new evidence from the neurosciences, which, compared to traditional criminological, developmental, psychological and sociological evidence, increases our capacity to explain the age-crime curve. In particular, the right-hand side of the curve, indicating desistance from crime in young adulthood between the ages of 18 and 25, can be based on new insights from neuroscientific research on brain maturation and the development of self-control mechanisms. As a result, new questions about judicial reactions and interventions must be raised. If an individual’s brain is fully matured only in the mid-twenties, general criminal law is possibly inappropriate, and a specific youth or young-adult criminal law reflecting the transitional processes and the diminished culpability of young-adult offenders should rather be applied. In many European jurisdictions, the scope of youth justice has been extended upwards to 18–20 year-old adults, in the Netherlands even up to 22 years of age, a political decision affecting criminality and based on new neuroscientific evidence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:18:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-105a3a071cb147f4a36dd070d60cfbf4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2538-8754 2351-6097 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:18:33Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Kriminologijos studijos |
| spelling | doaj.art-105a3a071cb147f4a36dd070d60cfbf42022-12-21T23:35:47ZengVilnius University PressKriminologijos studijos2538-87542351-60972020-12-01810.15388/CrimLithuan.2020.8.4Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young peopleFrieder Dünkel0Bernd Geng 1Daniel Passow 2Gintautas Sakalauskas 3Universität Greifswald, Forschungsstelle KriminologieUniversität Greifswald, Forschungsstelle KriminologieUniversitätsmedizin Rostock, Zentrum für NervenheilkundeVilnius University, LithuaniaTaking together all the evidence on the aetiology, development and differential processes of delinquent behaviour from childhood to adulthood, we dispose of important new evidence from the neurosciences, which, compared to traditional criminological, developmental, psychological and sociological evidence, increases our capacity to explain the age-crime curve. In particular, the right-hand side of the curve, indicating desistance from crime in young adulthood between the ages of 18 and 25, can be based on new insights from neuroscientific research on brain maturation and the development of self-control mechanisms. As a result, new questions about judicial reactions and interventions must be raised. If an individual’s brain is fully matured only in the mid-twenties, general criminal law is possibly inappropriate, and a specific youth or young-adult criminal law reflecting the transitional processes and the diminished culpability of young-adult offenders should rather be applied. In many European jurisdictions, the scope of youth justice has been extended upwards to 18–20 year-old adults, in the Netherlands even up to 22 years of age, a political decision affecting criminality and based on new neuroscientific evidence.https://www.journals.vu.lt/kriminologijos-studijos/article/view/24932juvenile justiceyoung adultscriminal liability of youthbrain maturationneurosciences |
| spellingShingle | Frieder Dünkel Bernd Geng Daniel Passow Gintautas Sakalauskas Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people Kriminologijos studijos juvenile justice young adults criminal liability of youth brain maturation neurosciences |
| title | Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people |
| title_full | Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people |
| title_fullStr | Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people |
| title_short | Neuroscience findings on brain maturation – arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people |
| title_sort | neuroscience findings on brain maturation arguments for the exclusive criminal liability of young people |
| topic | juvenile justice young adults criminal liability of youth brain maturation neurosciences |
| url | https://www.journals.vu.lt/kriminologijos-studijos/article/view/24932 |
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