by Dossie M Terrell

Created on: April 14, 2009

The question should be: if parents do not assume responsibility for their minor children's criminal behavior, who should? Judging from the interactions of many parents and their children, especially when they allow them to run amok in shopping centers, restaurants, and other public places, many seem to believe the guidance of their children is everyone else's responsibility.

It is difficult to believe there are parents who actually believe they are not responsible, in some measure, for the behavior of their minor children's criminal behavior. It may be a difficult conclusion to reach, but once reached perhaps therapeutic and remedial actions can start to take place. When parents live in a constant state of denial no one gains, themselves, the public, or their minor children. Most children do not end up in correction facilities without parents contributing in some way, perhaps inadvertently, but they do nevertheless. If the average parent looks back over their children's lives, they will discover, whether they now have good or bad behavior, getting to where they are was a process. When their minor children committed small infractions and there were little or no discussions, they went on (and on) to perpetrate more serious acts of disobedience.

When children are born into families, it becomes parents' responsibility to see that they are acclimated not only into that family but also in any other public or social settings. Even small babies seem to know parameters if they are set early on. Children need to know the boundaries and the rules of the house as they grow older. Parents who fail to erect those boundaries or set house rules are going to run into problems with their children. There are very few minors today who can resist the pressures of their peers and they usually will not unless they know with certainty that doing certain things will have some serious consequences.

There have been couples who have visited me with their small children and the children would have had my home in ramshackle condition in minutes if I not intervened. It amazes me that fathers today cannot seem to make their children toe the line. When I was a child and on the occasions I misbehaved, either of my parents had only to look at me and whatever I was doing, no matter its attraction, ceased immediately. There was never a word spoken, but I knew without a doubt the outcome if I had continued.

Minor children need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt the penalties for misbehaving and parents

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>