But what awaited them at the end of that display of defiance was not the admiration of their friends, but handcuffs and a criminal sentence. The case of the three individuals under 18 who were recently charged with "Disrupting public order" has exposed the heartbreaking reality of the fragile line between impulsiveness and legal consequences.
Adolescence is a period of significant psychological and physiological change, marked by a strong desire for self-affirmation. Unfortunately, many young people disregard discipline and prefer to use group strength as a measure of their status. The story of Nguyen Van A. (17 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City) is a prime example. Following some provocative online remarks, A. and his group of friends arranged to meet, armed with homemade weapons, revving their engines loudly, and shouting boisterously through the streets to "teach a lesson" to their rivals. Although no bloodshed occurred that night, their disruptive behavior caused extreme panic in the neighborhood.
Standing before the witness stand, A. burst into tears, sobbing: "I only wanted to scare the other group, I didn't think the incident would be serious enough to warrant imprisonment." A.'s dream of attending university was shattered, replaced by a black mark on her record. A.'s remorse reflects the misguided perceptions of many young people. They easily gather and blindly follow others with the naive thought: "It was just a scare, I didn't stab anyone, so why be afraid?" Many delude themselves with an invisible "pass": "I'm not yet 18, the law will be lenient, at most I'll just get an administrative fine." This lack of legal knowledge has pushed them across the red line.
The law has a policy of leniency and education for minors, but humanity does not mean tolerance. When reckless behavior threatens public safety and sows insecurity in the community, law enforcement agencies must take strong action. Looking at the bigger picture, the mistakes of these children are not solely their fault. Behind these sentences lies a breakdown in the educational link between schools, families, and society. Lax management, leaving everything to the school, and the parental mentality of "my child is very well-behaved at home" have caused many children to miss opportunities for timely guidance.
The price of crossing the line is too high. Young people have the right to make mistakes in order to grow, but some mistakes cannot be compensated for with an apology. The difference between impulsiveness and crime is just a moment of losing control. To prevent their youth from being wasted behind bars, that line must be clearly defined by families and schools before the law is forced to do so with harsh sentences.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/lan-ranh-tu-boc-dong-den-lao-ly-19626061319131705.htm
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