Lowering criminal liability age may have psychological effects on minors — experts

Lowering the minimum age of criminal liability may bring negative psychological effects on minors and may not help decrease in the crime rate in the country, several experts said.

In a “News To Go” report by GMA News’ Tina Panganiban Perez on Tuesday, developmental psychologist Dr. Liane Alampay said branding minors as criminals may cause them to acquire such identity when they grow up, even if they are only 15, 12 or nine years old now.

“This is the time when they are trying to figure out what they will become in the future, what is their self-concept today…even being labelled delinquent. Kaya nga natin pinalitan ng children in conflict with the law, because delinquency has such a pervasive personal label. You are delinquent,” Alampay said in a House justice subcommittee hearing.

“It is likely for a young person who is trying to find who he is that he will take on that identity, ‘wala akong kwenta’…. They will imbibe that identity and behave in ways that is consistent with that identity,” she added.

House Bill No. 2, authored by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, seeks to amend the “Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006,” bringing down the age of criminal liability from 15 to nine years old.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) favored the move, claiming that they always arrest children who have complete knowledge of crimes they repeatedly commit.

“Most of the cases involving children, paulit-ulit na lang po. Even the children know they are committing a crime,” PNP Deputy Director for Investigation and Detective Management Chief Superintendent Eric Reyes said.

“There are even instances that when we arrest the children, they just say you could not jail me because I am a minor,” he said.

However, he said children in conflict with the law should be treated as victims.

For her part, Social Welfare Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera said lowering the age of criminality will not cut down the crime rate in the country.

From the time when the age of criminal liability was lowered to 15 years old in 2006, the number of arrested minors has increased every year.

Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) show that 1,955 minors were arrested in 2006; 1,825 in 2007; 2,158 in 2008; and 2,735 in 2009.

The DSWD added that only about two percent of those involved in crimes were minors.

Children in conflict with the law only need proper guidance and assistance, the department said. — Erwin Colcol/VVP, GMA News