Right and Wrong

Recently I came across an article online that baffled and bewildered me. The article claimed that children, by the age of ten, know the difference between right and wrong. I had never given this much thought but, after reading through the article and thinking about it, I couldn't help but disagree strongly with the author.

It is my belief that children, by the age of ten, do not have the knowledge nor experience to judge the difference between right and wrong. Young children are not expected to understand the complex issues of right and wrong in life at such a young age. This understanding comes with education and life experience, something a young child has not had the chance to fully experience by the tender age of ten.

Do young children possess the same level of judgement that adults do? Did you know as a child what you know now as an adult? The answer simply is no. I certainly didn't anyway. Judgement is based on experience. At ten years old children do not have sufficient experience gained by work and travel that most of you now probably have as young adults. As a ten year old my main concerns were: was the tooth fairy going to come? had I been good enough for Santa Clause? and what kind of Easter egg would the Easter Bunny leave? All my needs were catered for and my judgement only stretched as far as my parents. I did not understand that occasionally adults get things wrong too. I believed my parents were the ultimate symbol of all that is good. In my eyes they could do no wrong. As a young adult now, I am aware that everyone makes mistakes and I fully acknowledge that people aren't always right.

If children know the difference between right and wrong they should be able to see all the wrong our politicians have been doing and be allowed to make an informed choice in elections. Of course children have not acquired a mature understanding nor have the majority of them any interest in politics or our disintegrating economy. While they may understand the difference between what is a right and what is a wrongly run country they cannot act on that understanding. They are simply too young and their sense of right and wrong is fuzzier and more blurred that that of an adult.

Is it fair to prosecute a child in the same way as an adult? While the majority of children are capable of telling you that murder is wrong, some are so traumatised by personal experiences that they cannot see the consequences of their actions. They do not have the same clear moral sense that adults have. They do not act like rational adults would, they act like the damaged child that they are. Research has shown that children imprisoned in adult jails are five times as likely to be sexually assaulted, twice as likely to be beaten by staff and fifty percent more likely to be attacked with a weapon. Surely to God if the adults cannot see the wrong in carrying out those actions how are we expected to believe that young children, who are influenced by the adults around them, know the difference between wrong and right.

It is ridiculous to think that children could possibly understand the difference between right and wrong by the age of ten. It is hard enough for adults to act on their understanding of right and wrong, let alone children. Life is a continuous learning process and learning the difference between right and wrong is not something that happens overnight, it takes time.