Would you call the police on your own child?

[purpledaze24]

This is a hypothetical question, inspired from a dilemma a friend of a friend was in a while back and just got me thinking. If you found out your teenage (12-15 yr old) child committed a fairly serious crime, but one that didn’t physically hurt anyone, say, major fraud that caused serious damage to a business and made him/her 50 grand richer, car theft, robbed a bank, major hacking, would you protect them from the police (without directly lying to the police)? Or would you lie for them? If so how would you “punish” (for lack of a better word) them personally? What about if the crime did hurt someone else physically but the circumstances were complicated eg. someone started a drunken fight with them and they fought back but landed the other person in hospital with life-threatening injuries (but escaped any themselves)? How far would you go to protect them? Or would you shop them to the police no matter what they did? Or only for certain crimes?

I might encourage them to hand themselves in if I thought that was the best course of action. Struggling to imagine a situation where I would call the police on them. Serial killer maybe.

I didn’t bring my children up to become criminals. I’d inform the police if they were drug dealing, or stealing cars. If they seriously hurt someone in “self defence” I’d encourage them to turn themselves in but I’d do it myself if I had to.

I cannot imagine that they don’t know this. There was a case a few years ago where the parents covered for a young adult who raped and murdered his girlfriend. Never would I ever. I couldn’t live with myself.

but one that didn’t physically hurt anyone, say, major fraud that caused serious damage to a business and made him/her 50 grand richer, car theft, robbed a bank, major hacking,

How do you work out that those things don't physically hurt anyone, and why would that make a difference. If your child just did serious damage to a business and the owner commits suicide in despair, that doesn't matter? Steals a car that someone needs for work and they lose their job, that doesn't matter? Every single crime, large or small, impacts adversely on someone. And if you stand by and act like they don't matter, then I am afraid that you are also a criminal; plus you have no right to expect anyone to protect you when you become a victim of crime.

I would encourage them to turn thelmeselves in, but making it clear that if they didn't I would turn them in.

The only crimes that didn’t physically when someone I would report are non contact sex offences.

non contact =/= victimless

I reported a dc for having a huge house party with drugs and alcoholic at exh's house.
With a dc still primary school age in bed..
Ds was 14.. And his df knew...
Reported a dc for comitting a serious offence knowing they could no longer be a part of my life...
Was glad they didn't receive a custodial sentence as didn't want harm to come to them.