With law enforcement killing innocent or unarmed Black people with alarming frequency, many of us can’t imagine willingly turning our relatives in to the police.
Would you report your child to the police if you found out he committed a crime?
Would you turn your child in to the police if he/she committed a crime?
Under normal circumstances, most teens push boundaries. They talk back, break curfew, lie and sometimes cheat and steal as they navigate their way into adulthood. But these behaviors are a far cry from the serious juvenile crimes that concern some parents -- and the kind that have recently hit the headlines.
How do we know when normal teen acting-out is a preamble to something far more sinister? Is it our parental responsibility to expose our children's suspicious activity and turn them over to authorities, or do we defend and protect them at all costs? Most important, are there things parents can -- and should -- do to avoid this dangerous trajectory, whether in stormy times or everyday life?
Clarity about lesser "crimes" helps kids avoid committing more serious ones. By the time a teen is capable of murder, parents must turn them in, of course. But, perhaps if children are raised dealing with the more gentle "authorities at home," these kinds of tragedies would be avoided.
Do you have advice for parents whose kids show signs of potential unlawful behavior? Would you turn your child in to the police if he/she committed a crime?
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