Parents Should Be Held Legally Responsible For Their Children’s Acts

No doubt, parents play a crucial role in shaping the character of their children. Children imbibe both the good and the bad traits of their parents. Needless to say, kids coming from good families tend to behave well whereas those coming from bad or dysfunctional families are more likely to get into trouble. Since children are too young to understand what is right or wrong, it is the responsibility of parents to guide them in the right direction. Hence, I agree with the argument that parents should be held responsible for the actions of their minor children. Children have impressionable minds. They acquire their values and morals from their parents. For instance, kids born in a good family often listen to good words and moral stories from the elderly family members. Therefore, when they find themselves in a difficult or unfavourable situation, they know how to keep their emotions in check and behave politely. This restraint that they learn from their family will prevent them from acting aggressively and getting into trouble. By contrast, a child coming from a bad family may assimilate the bad qualities of their parents. Since they often get exposed to verbal and physical abuse they will assume that violence and aggression are normal and acceptable. It is only a matter of time before they commit crimes outside the home. For example, in India, the mother of a 14 years old boy was penalized for allowing her son to drive a four wheeler. The boy caused an accident and the judge who heard the case held his mother responsible because in his opinion it was her duty to prevent her underage son from driving. Thus, obviously, parents are responsible for the actions of their children. To conclude, after analysing the situation it is not hard to see that the role of parents in raising law abiding citizens with social commitment is of utmost importance. Hence, I believe that parents should be held accountable for the wrong acts of their children.