Parental Responsibility

When children commit criminal offenses there are some cases where they are much too young to be penalized for their actions and a parent or guardian has to take responsibility for that child’s actions. Sometimes that may even include criminal sanctions. Some people may think this should not be the law, but unfortunately, it is in some places. Should you or someone you know be a parent that has had to take the fall for your children’s actions, there are a few things you should know.  Most cases come from incidents that occur at the schoolhouse, children may be away from home and involved in things they are not usually involved in at home in their parent’s presence. There have been cases where children may be involved in fights that lead to physical damages of another child or student, there are even cases where a child may vandalize or steal from their schools or other properties. Laws vary from state to state so it is important to seek legal advice to learn what you may need to do moving forward. There are different levels that come into play when parents have to take responsibility for their child.

In many cases, parents are not held responsible and their children must take accountability as individuals for their own actions. It most likely occurs when the parent knows that the child may act out or break the law and refuse to handle the situation prior to any incident. 

It is good to note that the older the child the less likely the parent is to be responsible for that child’s behavior. There is a higher liability if a younger child commits a criminal offense. Good questions to ask will be that and if the prosecutor will consider the adult also being charged not just held responsible of controlling a youngster than a teenager. It follows that parents have a bigger duty to control the young one, and a correspondingly higher liability if they fail to do so.

In the event that you, as a parent, are charged or deemed responsible for your child’s actions it is best to speak with a criminal lawyer, like from The Lynch Law Group, to get more understanding for which offense will fall under your responsibility. Being charged for the act of crime that anyone other than yourself has committed can be frustrating. Even if it is your child, who is your responsibility up to a point, it is not ideal.