Young people who commit crimes should be treated the same way

IELTS Band 9 Essay About Young people who commit crimes should be treated the same way as adults

Here we take a look at a band 9 Ielts writing task 2 sample about “Young people who commit crimes should be treated the same way as adults”. This sample then will be further analyzed for its vocabulary, grammar and format, so we see how it has qualified for such band score. We also suggest over 200 band 9 IELTS samples released in 2025.

Sample Essay (Band 9):

Young people who commit crimes should be treated the same way as adults.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The issue of whether young offenders should be treated identically to adults in the criminal justice system is a contentious one. While some argue that equality in punishment is essential for justice, I strongly believe that young people should be treated differently due to their developmental stage and potential for rehabilitation.

One of the primary reasons for treating young offenders differently is their cognitive and emotional immaturity. Adolescents are still in the process of developing their decision-making abilities, and their brains are not fully mature. This means they are more susceptible to peer pressure and impulsive behavior, which can lead to criminal activities. For example, a teenager might commit a crime without fully understanding the long-term consequences of their actions. Treating them the same as adults would ignore these psychological factors and could result in overly harsh punishments that do not fit the crime.

Furthermore, young people have a greater capacity for rehabilitation compared to adults. The primary goal of the justice system should be to reform offenders and reintegrate them into society as productive members. Young offenders, in particular, are more likely to respond positively to interventions such as counseling, education, and community service. For instance, programs that focus on skill-building and mentorship have been shown to reduce recidivism rates among young people significantly. Treating them the same as adults would undermine these opportunities for growth and change.

However, it is important to acknowledge that some crimes committed by young people are extremely serious and may warrant stricter measures. In such cases, a balanced approach that considers both the severity of the crime and the offender’s age is necessary. For example, a young person who commits a violent crime might require a combination of punishment and rehabilitation to ensure both accountability and personal development.

In conclusion, while equality in justice is an important principle, treating young offenders the same as adults overlooks their developmental differences and potential for rehabilitation. A justice system that takes these factors into account is not only more humane but also more effective in reducing crime and fostering a safer society.

Academic Vocabulary in the sample for Young people who commit crimes should be treated the same way as adults

Identically (/aɪˈdɛntɪkli/)
- Sentence: Young offenders should not be treated identically to adults due to their immaturity.
Contentious (/kənˈtɛnʃəs/)
- Sentence: The issue of juvenile justice is highly contentious in many societies.
Developmental (/dɪˌvɛləpˈmɛntəl/)
- Sentence: Developmental factors must be considered when sentencing young offenders.
Rehabilitation (/ˌriːhəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/)
- Sentence: The focus on rehabilitation for young offenders can lead to lower recidivism rates.
Cognitive (/ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv/)
- Sentence: Adolescents often lack the cognitive maturity to fully understand the consequences of their actions.

Advanced Grammar Structures:

While some argue that…
- This concessive clause introduces a contrasting viewpoint, demonstrating the writer’s ability to consider multiple perspectives, which is crucial for a high band score.
This means they are more susceptible to…
- The use of a demonstrative pronoun (“This”) to refer back to a previous idea creates cohesion and logical flow in the essay.
For example, a teenager might commit…
- The use of a specific example strengthens the argument by providing concrete evidence to support the claim.
The primary goal of the justice system should be…
- The use of a modal verb (“should”) to express obligation adds nuance and sophistication to the argument.
In such cases, a balanced approach that considers…
- The use of a conditional phrase (“In such cases”) and a relative clause (“that considers both…”) adds complexity and specificity to the argument.

These advanced grammatical structures contribute to the essay’s coherence, cohesion, and lexical resource, all of which are critical for achieving a Band 9 score.

Free IELTS Sample Essays with Answers PDF

Here you can download over a 1000 sample essays in pdf written by former ielts examiners: PDF 1 / PDF 2 / PDF 3 / PDF 4 / PDF 5

Last But Not Least!

We suggest a useful IELTS website in English for more valuable IELTS sample essays on a range of topics. Our final suggestion is our writing free correction Telegram channel where you can send your own sample for evaluation and correction by an experience IELTS tutor with over a decade of practical experience in this matter.