It’s super complex. There are cases where the person “gets it” and just getting caught is enough to cause growth. Accountability in the form of punishment may be a waste of time or even harmful to growth because the experience is too painful to integrate. On the other hand, someone who is always let off the hook may never develop a true sense of responsibility and things only get worse. There’s no single factor to tell what’s the right thing to do all the time.
But within the theme of this thread, I strongly doubt the optimum solution is “full punishment in every case for everyone the moment they cross the age of majority.”
Well the effect of applying draconian computer intrusion laws is extremely damaging to anybody's trajectory, so it's understandable to want to find some empathizeable reason to soften the blow. "Kids" get punished by paying damages and a stern "don't do that again", whereas for adults it's like here's your ten year federal prison sentence for being a witch.
