Should parents be held responsible if their children commit crimes?

Yes, but parents should maintain disciplinary rights over there children.

No, but it depends on the crime, and how the parents raised the kids.

No. Some parents might take revenge on their kid once out of jail or if its a big fine. Afterall, in my opinion, badly behaved kids is a result of parents neglect, or as we all know, abuse, or finally, bad parenting.

@naruhodo1

So, if your kid robs a store or murders someone in cold blood, it's because of your neglect, abuse or finally, bad parenting, right?

As long as a minor child lives under the same roof as his or her parents, there should be a social covenant for the parent to provide guidance and discipline (but of course never abuse). As I kid, I was reminded that getting caught at something really bad would hurt my father's career (he was a civil servant), and that served as a deterrent. If my baseball smashed somebody's window I knew that I would be expected to make restitution, and my parents guaranteed this would be done. Mostly we're talking about damage to property. In cases of physical violence it's usually the court that gets involved, along with lawyers. Having an incorrigible kid can easily bankrupt a family.

Sometimes the parents can be great, but the kid just got a bad set of genes. It happens. I see it often in my work.

Other times, divorced families. Dad not home until very late making a living.

Each situation has to be looked at carefully.

Serrano, 100% right. Mabo, thats what those parents think. They dont know what they are doing is wrong. For example, my dad thought/thinks that getting the belt was a good way to deter me from doing something bad. He never raised his voice at us in public or hit us, but behind closed doors, we got the beating. After the beating, i remember my parents talking about how unlucky for them to get such bad children. That they are great parents and ask god why the bad luck. IN their minds great parents. But they didnt have the slightest clue how to parent. They never talked to us about taboo things, they never said i love u, they never explained why sonething is wrong but that it is because my father told me so, etc. They still believe they were great parents according to their culture.

The violent urge to hurt someone (violent behavior) direct relation to environment/surrounding. Kids are blank canvases. We mold and shape them to what we want consciously or unconsciously. My advice, if u have children, watch what u say and do. The apple doesnt fall far from the tree.

How do you define a "child"? Technically anyone under 20 is a child in Japan. Should parents suffer for the actions of 19 year olds?

Sure, there are circumstances where parents have the power to stop their children misbehaving. In such circumstances it might be right for them to pay a fine. But in other circumstances it would be completely inappropriate. Really you just have to look at the situation.

Also given I doubt anyone would argue that parents should go to jail, civil actions could resolve the issue. If, for example, a 7 year old broke a window by throwing a rock whilst with their parent, the property owner could sue the parent. No need to involve the criminal system.

No. Children have a mind of their own.

I didn't vote because there is no simple yes or no. Parents can't control their children under all conditions and trying to do so would cause more harm than benefit. But in cases of gross negligence I agree that parents should be held responsible. This is for criminal liability. As for the damages caused by their children, parents of course must take full liability.

an impossible question to answer now really..............

As a generalization I wud say parents are responsible 100% to about 14, from 14-19,20 its about 50:50, after about 20 its 10000% the kids responsibility.

But even there there are shades of gray

Mmmmm. Certainly not solely responsible - because that teaches the child nothing. As a social animal you must learn that you have responsibilities to others - to the people around you. That you have obligations to others that are an inherent part of your place in the social structure. I crime is essentially a breach of this. Having parents take the blame for their child teaches a child that others will take the fall for their poor behaviour. However, neglectful and irresponsible parenting is also part of the root cause of this behaviour - and if it can be found that the parents have been neglectful of their duties as a responsible parent, then yeah, bring them in on the punishment. I think the social pressure Japan has to observe your responsibilities to the group is one of it's great strengths.

I voted 'no' cos children's behavior can be influenced from many different sources. However, by contrast, children are still a product of their environment and 'usually' bad kids have bad parents. There are so many great parenting books available and yet, people still rely on what their mother or aunty tells them is the best way to bring up kids. One of my favorite books is, 'Toddler Taming' by Dr. Christopher Green. I read it many years ago and probably learned more about myself than kids.

In the case of property damage or compensation due to injury, it is usually the parents that end up footing the bill anyway, so regardless of the vote, parents are held responsible.

yes, in my country the parents are responsible for what their kids do until they are 18. @Disillusioned if parents take interest in the upbringing of their offspring those influences would not be influences at all. it is the parents job to imprint their kids with a sense of morality

It depends on what you mean by "held responsible". Does that mean that the parents face punishment as if they committed the crime themselves (e.g. kid commits murder, faces death penalty and parents are executed also (or in place of the kid))? Then to me the answer is no.

At the same time parents should be offered the opportunity for help if they can see their kids heading down a wrong path but don't have the resources to help steer him/her right (counseling, therapy, time at home due to long work schedule, etc.)

There's no general rule, depends on the crime, the child's age, and other factors such as possible health problems, problems of mental disturbance or possible bad influence or encouragements from bad friends who embolden to crime, drug, lack of proper surveillance or education from teachers with whome the children spend all their days.

Might not be 100% of the child or the parents responsibility. More importantly the other persons who might also be held responsible for the child committed a crime or even if they only had their part in it by emboldening them, should be found and parents should not be automatically blamed, but yes, if they had their part in it out of parenting negligence.

It should be a case by case basis. For example, sometimes you hear stories about parents telling their kids to go in the store & steal or parents that prostitute their own kids or parents that coach their kids on how to physically attack & get revenge on someone. In these cases, of course the parents should be held criminally responsible. Thats a no brainer to me. On the other hand, if a kid gets into trouble on his own, then he has to bite the bullet on his own. He cant throw the blame on mom & dad & society shouldn`t throw the blame either.

Now if we are talking about a 6 year old accidentally breaking the neighbors window with his baseball, this isnt criminal. The parents obviously have to pay up front, but the kid should have to apologize to the neighbors and do chores to repay the parents so the kid learns that his actions and behavior are his responsibility. If the parents assume the responsibility of the broken window then the child doesn`t learn that that broken window is actually his responsibility not the parents. The younger children learn their behavior is their responsibility, the better.