Parental Responsibility?

LancYorkYankee · 27-02-2007, 04:00

As requested/recommended by my northern friend Billcat:

Where do you guys believe parental responsibilty should end? In my state, parents are held responsible when their kids are repeatedly absent from school. Is this a good idea? Is this the same in England?

Do you believe parents should be held financially responsible when their under 18 year old children cause damage to someone elses person, place and/or property? Are they ever held responsible in England?

When does/should this responsibility end? I believe as long as a parent still considers their child as a dependant (I believe that can be up to 21 years old) they should be held somewhat responsible. Heck, the kid is coming and going from their home.

Over here (I believe), regardless of a vehicle's ownership, if some drug dealing kid is driving around in the family car, and drugs are found in it, the police can/will conviskate the vehicle. Do you think this is fair to Mom and Dad?

Same (I believe) is true for a kid selling drugs out of his/her parents residence. The house can be conviscated by the state. That's regardless of the parent's, spouse's, children's knowledge. Ya thnk that's fair? Do you think it serves as a bit of a deterrent? I do.

Brian

WillowTheWhisp · 27-02-2007, 08:33

Here parents are held responsible for a child truanting from school - which is a bit difficult for parents sometimes when they take the kid to school, see the kid go through the school gates and in the door and then the kid bunks off unknown to the parent and spends the rest of the day hanging about round town with their mates.

If parents are at work what can they do?

I know some do keep their children at home to help them with shopping or housework and that is ludicrous. They should be held to account, as well as the ones who don't give a hoot where their kids are during the day.

cashman · 27-02-2007, 09:00

agree with willow about the school thing, the other things you mention LYY. seem very draconian re- confiscate the house if drug dealing With or Without the parents knowledge. With- fine, Without- ludicrous.

grego · 27-02-2007, 09:43

I think parents should be responsible till around 18, I think after that regardless to whether they are still living at home it would be difficult for a parent to control their then adult child. The child has to take responsibility for themselves, I think taking the house is OTT, the car, if the parent knows their child is taking drugs, and the signs are usually obvious, then surely they should stop them from driving their car, if its the childs car then if its confiscated its their own problem, dont know if I make sense there or not.

LancYorkYankee · 27-02-2007, 18:22

I guess my main frustration with "the system" both here and over there is the rampant hoodlumism. Between anger and discouragement, I see the chavs over there, and the gangs here, causing mayhem.

Seems things are a bit more strict here but we still have kids dropping out of school at 16 (which is for some reason allowed) and just hanging out around town. You guys have the break ins, the vandalism, the disrespect of older folks, etc..

I guess I was just throwing out ideas to alleviate the frustration I feel at the hooligans. Also because one of the boys (17) I've tried to help raise has been sentence to juvinile detention. He's broke his Grandparents heart as well as ours. (His Mum died of a drug overdose when he was 2 and no idea who the dad is).

This kid started going bad 4 years ago. I couldn't convince his Grandparents (next door neighbors) of the danger in their leniency. He should have been put into juvi. 2 years earlier for stuff done. His Grandparents always came to his rescue.

LancYorkYankee · 27-02-2007, 18:28

Also, this same kid stole his Grandparents car, was drinking and driving, and totalled the car by smashing through a fence. Grandparents car, grandparents responsibility. Now how can't that be wrong? The little #$@.

The next day who was off fixing the fence, the 70 year old Grandfather!

steeljack · 27-02-2007, 19:37

For young-uns getting into trouble, (graffitti , vandalism and general hooliganism) I think parents are responsible till they reach 18 yrs. If darling little Kevin or Staci or Jason screw up and get fined its up to the parents to make sure they pay, if they dont pay send in the bailiffs and take the 42" plasma screen tv away as a wake up call . Any kid caught road racing or drunk driving under 18 in Dads car ........sorry the car goes into the crusher , if the Dad whinges that he didn't know, the kid is guilty of grand theft .
Here in California the schools recieve financing thru attendance , so much per child per day , so if a kid is missing the school looses X amount , a bit of an incentive to the slurpee slurping administrators and lazy-assed school cops to chase down absentees .

garinda · 27-02-2007, 19:46

Sometimes showing love by being too forgiving, is the worst thing you can do for a child.

Spare the rod, spoil the child.

LancYorkYankee · 27-02-2007, 20:15

Both good points Steeljack and Rindy. Just as the Mum letting her son get so large, same goes for parents over here who let their 12 year olds smoke, drink, and chew tobacco. Like father like son. Okay that's mostly some of the more hillbilly folks but still, what are these parents thinking?

Brian

Billcat · 27-02-2007, 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by LancYorkYankee

Seems things are a bit more strict here but we still have kids dropping out of school at 16 (which is for some reason allowed) and just hanging out around town.

That's an easy one. It only takes one student who does not want to be in class to halt the entire learning process for the kids who do want an education. Get the problem chld our of the classroom, so that others may benefit.

Also, the job title is teacher, not juvenile warden!

Billcat · 27-02-2007, 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

agree with willow about the school thing, the other things you mention LYY. seem very draconian re- confiscate the house if drug dealing With or Without the parents knowledge. With- fine, Without- ludicrous.

And frankly, I think that confiscation of property prior to a conviction is wrong. It's a little matter of due process!

Billcat · 27-02-2007, 21:05

Interesting article on asset forfeiture:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...orfeiture.html

Here is an excerpt, which is just one of the problems with the current system in the USA:

"According to a report prepared for the Senate Judiciary Committee, at least 90 percent of the property that the federal government seeks to forfeit is pursued through civil asset forfeiture. And although forfeiture is intended as punishment for illegal activity, over 80% of the people whose property is seized under civil law are never even charged with a crime according to one study of over 500 federal cases by the Pittsburgh Press."

Punishment without conviction. It's a revolting concept, in my opinion.

Ianto.W. · 27-02-2007, 21:13

I think the parental responsibility for paying the price of their childrens 'crimes' etc, ends with the investigation of the parents finances which usually come up with little or no credit, so the persuit of compensation becomes a fruitless exercise.

steeljack · 27-02-2007, 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ianto.W.

I think the parental responsibility for paying the price of their childrens 'crimes' etc, ends with the investigation of the parents finances which usually come up with little or no credit, so the persuit of compensation becomes a fruitless exercise.

you can be sure that not many of these folks are watching the latest episode of Coronation st. on 12" black and white TV ........

Ianto.W. · 27-02-2007, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

you can be sure that not many of these folks are watching the latest episode of Coronation st. on 12" black and white TV ........

By the time they have been seized stored and auctioned the money left for dispersal is nil, these people do not purchase anything worth selling they are more st wise than their kid's, like father like son.