However, the main problem with peer interaction has to do with the moral development of an individual. Adolescents tend to have a very flexible moral belief system and for the most part the need to be accepted outweighs the young adults moral beliefs of right and wrong. Early in adolescence their moral reasoning is governed by the standards of others rather than their own belief system. Sometimes for these at risk youngsters, their belief system is completely erased and they adopt main beliefs in accordance to what the rest of the group believes. They govern their actions by what is approved of by the group, for instance, taking a pull off a joint might be consider "loser-ish", not cool" etc. Experts agree that the highest level of moral reasoning cannot be reached if there is a dysfunction in the development somewhere. The highest level is when the individual can weigh moral alternatives and that ethical decisions are based on universal ethical principles. These principles emphasize respect for human rights, justice, equality and dignity for all people. Unfortunately with young adults, their moral belief system may not just be slow in developing, but ultimately be completely reversed to the societal norms. Adolescents struggle to deal with the changes in themselves and their environment, while along the way searching to establish their identity and find values to guide their lives. Not knowing were one belongs and who one is is big at this stage.

tarts with the idea that youth should be responsible for their actions, but we must take into account that some youth make mistakes and there is no evidence that long sentences reduce youth crime. (Singer and McDowell, 1987) Child development and juvenile experts agree, that the "correction" of young offenders should be positive and influence healthy development. They say that a sense of responsibility and judgment are less developed in adolescents and thus makes rehabilitation that much greater and that the traditional sentences and emphasis on incarceration do not work well. They believe that rehabilitation, where possible, can address the needs and circumstances under which a crime was committed, for example, killing/maiming animals at a young age often indicates an underlying psychosis.

Unfortunately for the amount for the amount of people that support the Young Offenders Act, there are probably twice as many critics. These critics say that the issue of rehabilitation has made detention centers and other correctional institutions soft. However, under present circumstances the media has shifted it's focus from the children in trouble, to menacing youth whom the public should fear. Young people committing serious offences have captured the headlines. The critics accredit this the installation of the Young Offenders Act. What the majority of citizens fail to realize is that the media tends to sensationalize these cases and give the impression that this is the norm, when, infact, these cases are rare. This leads to the idea that the Act is to lenient when it comes to dealin

Some common words found in the essay are:
Diane Baumrind, Offenders Act, Criminal Code, Systems Theory, Singer McDowell, Alternative Measures, World Psychology, Vs Statistics, Delinquents Act, Holmolka Karla, offenders act, belief system, criminal code, deviant behavior, moral belief system, moral belief, yoa helps, youth crime, changes themselves, 100000 youth, complete program, juvenile delinquents act, canadian criminal code,
Approximate Word count = 2066
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)