Should Parents Be Held Responsible For Their Child's Crimes

As generations pass by, the crime rates among minors have increased. According to the ‘Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’, “In 2015, law enforcement in the U.S arrested approximately 921,600 people under the age of 18.” Crimes such as murder, fraud, vandalism, robbery, etc. Many are quick to blame the minor and they should take responsibility for their actions but people forget to look at the root of the problem. What caused a child to start committing crimes from a young age? Were they born violent? According to Laura Ross Greiner, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Violence and Prevention, has stated that no one is born a troubled child or with the violent gene. Everyone is born as an individual and that it is

It is non-criminal meaning that “this usually ends when the child reaches the age of majority and doesn’t begin until the child reaches 8 to 10 years old”. In most states, parents are held responsible for the damages their child has done. Parental liability only pertains to children who are underage, which explains why many people have a different mindset as to why they think parents should be held responsible to their child’s crime. A question that was asked in ‘The National Bureau of Economic Research’, if child abuse causes crime? According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, “over a million children are victims of maltreatment annually”. Children who have been abused and neglected are likely of being arrested when they are juveniles and as adults, and criminal behavior can increase at and earlier time. These children are more likely to dropout of school, less likely to go to college, and likely to abuse substance which can lead them to their

If someone were to go online or turn on the TV today, most of what we see is violence. It is inevitable. A quote by Cornell University professor, James Garbarino, “This society of ours in this point in out history is a very toxic place to be a troubled, vulnerable kid”, explains how society today is a very violent place. To a certain degree, parents can protect their kids from the worlds violence, but they cannot monitor them 24/7. When parents send their kids to school or afterschool programs, the child is out of their parents supervision and the school/ supervising adult is now responsible for them. Outside of their house, their child risks the chances of being bullied, mistreated by teachers or other adults, view violent and inappropriate things online, etc. All of these factors can contribute to a child acting out. According to Julia Lurie, a writer for ‘Mother Jones’ website, wrote “A new study based on a survey of more than 15,000 American high school students found that victims of bullying are nearly twice as likely to carry guns and other weapons to school.” Most kids who have been bullied decide to bring weapons to school because they feel like it is the only solution left. The child usually does not want to confide in their parents or an adult because they are afraid of making the situation worse. In situations like this, it is not