Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

It should be a criminal offence to not finacially support your own child?

33 replies

VinegarTits · 28/01/2013 14:13

Mostly men (but not always) in our society are who are serial impregnators, who repeatedly have children then leave and move on to have more without paying for the children they left behind, and in a lot of cases leaving the state to pick up their tab

im sick of single mothers being portrayed as villians for 'breeding' yet the feckless fathers who left without a by or leave, are never mentioned, or made to pay

I dont want another single mum debate, i want a debate on why these men are allowed to get away with it? why are we not doing more to make them face up to their responsibilities?

i think if they were prosecuted for not supporting the children they left behind, they would be less likely to have more children they are likely to leave and not pay for

OP posts:
LessMissAbs · 28/01/2013 14:18

I think its an excellent idea. I'm not in favour of over-criminalising society, but so many areas have been made criminal offences recently here in Scotland (apparantly if I let out a rental flat which is not carpetted, I will be committing a criminal offence soon), that more important matters should probably be targetted too.

Mind you, the court system would be overrun by their excuses.

confusteling · 28/01/2013 14:19

Hm. Having a father who was made to pay up through the CSA, I'd say yes but there are disadvantages. My dad told me outright that he grudged paying for my upbringing. I'd quite frankly rather he didn't pay than be told he never wanted to.. Maybe the solution lies in making dads want to look after their children .. If that makes sense. But I can understand the frustration.

ReallyTired · 28/01/2013 14:23

I started a similar thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a1647334-To-think-that-not-paying-child-maintaince-should-be-a-criminal-offence-like-tax-evasion

Prehaps men who refuse to pay for their children should be castrated to prevent them having any more. I am not sure what you do to useless mothers who pay nothing towards their children.

SkinnybitchWannabe · 28/01/2013 14:23

I agree.

Original poster
VinegarTits · 28/01/2013 14:23

They shouldnt have a choice though, if it was mandatory im sure more men would think twice before they had children

If i, as the sole souce of income for my family, stopping providing for my children i would be prosecuted for child neglect

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 28/01/2013 14:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HecateWhoopass · 28/01/2013 14:26

Oh yes. I agree.

Create a child - pay for that child.

Walking away should NOT be an option.

I'd like to see passports and driving licences taken away, the lot. Actual consequences. And baliffs at your door. ccjs. Stop at nothing to make those who currently avoid paying, pay up.

I'd mostly like to see a shift in attitude. Make it something that is seen as revolting and that you'd be ashamed for anyone to know about you.

People shouldn't resent their child or ex for the fact they have to pay money for their child. It should be seen as just the thing to do.

Original poster
VinegarTits · 28/01/2013 14:26

great minds reallytired

OP posts:
thesnootyfox · 28/01/2013 14:27

I think it's an idea worth exploring.

Kendodd · 28/01/2013 14:28

Agreed.

So.... what shall we do about it?

Nagoo · 28/01/2013 14:28

hmmm.

devil's advocatey type of point, but if contraception fails, as a woman you have the choice whether to go ahead with the pregnancy. If you are a man, you don't get to make that decision.

Original poster
VinegarTits · 28/01/2013 14:28

'I'd like to see passports and driving licences taken away, the lot. Actual consequences. And baliffs at your door. ccjs'

Hecate the CSA do have the power to do these things, yet after 6 years of them trying to money from my ex, they still havent done any of those things!

OP posts:
newNN · 28/01/2013 14:28

I agree. My friend had a baby that the father does not financially support. She worked her arse off to get a job and make a decent life for him, but in the mean time her child's father wasn't contributing a penny. Do not think it should be the state's responsibility to pay for children, when they have perfectly capable parents who are just electing not to contribute.

I think something needs to be done about men who abandon their families and do everything in their power to not pay sufficient money to their ex wives and children. Being a parent should be something the law enforces. If men couldn't get away with this shit, then they might think twice before they bugger off and have yet more kids with someone else!

HecateWhoopass · 28/01/2013 14:29

most relationships don't end during pregnancy though, nagoo. Far more end when the child is born. or when they're 2, or 3, or 5...

Vinegar - Never ever heard of them doing any of that to anyone. I wonder why they dont.

StuntGirl · 28/01/2013 14:29

What Hec said.

(Have never said that yet, feel like I'm part of the club now Grin)

Bobbybird40 · 28/01/2013 14:30

Totally agree OP. You cant just criminalise the bloke though. They are, in many ways, both to blame for behaving so irresponsibly.

CailinDana · 28/01/2013 14:31

YANBU at all. My dick darling of a father in law was ranting on about single mothers one time so I asked him what about the fathers who leave the women single and struggling? Oh apparently it wasn't their fault, the women are responsible. He's not the only person I've heard this view from, both men and women seem to believe that men can have sex whenever and wherever they like without worrying about contraception and just walk away from any child they create without a care in the world. According to them it is up to the women and the women alone to protect against pregnancy and to deal with one if it happens to occur. It is shocking to think that in this day and age people still put the onus for staying "pure" and celibate on women but it is very much the case and I think that's the reason so many men get away with being so incredibly irresponsible. It's as if being a single mother is the woman's "punishment" for daring to go out and have sex, while the man doesn't even have to pay for never mind look after the child as he is blameless, only "doing what men do."

How a woman could ever date or marry a man who has children but doesn't provide for them is beyond me, yet these men seem to have no trouble getting one partner after another.

redskyatnight · 28/01/2013 14:31

But what about cases where the man didn't want the child (wanted his partner to have an abortion) and the woman chose not to listen to his wishes?

NormaStanleyFletcher · 28/01/2013 14:32

It also needs to have a real stigma attached to it. Like drunk driving does these days.

BacardiNCoke · 28/01/2013 14:33

ITA. BIL (DH's brother) currently has around 9 children with 6 women and another on the way! Shock He doesn't see or pay for 7 of those children! I wondering when his current girlfriend is going to realise that she's just 1 in a long list of baby mammas. The amount shit he gave DH for having a vasectomy! DH has 3 children, and has paid for and brought them all up, we don't want any more so he did the responsible thing.

It should most definitely apply to both genders though. DSD's mother never paid a penny towards her. For the first 9 years of DSD's life she claimed benefits for her but dumped her on her parents as much as possible, then when we got residence she never paid a penny in maintenance for the remaining 9 years!

Nagoo · 28/01/2013 14:33

I assume that you mean men that have the means to pay but choose not to?

So you aren't going to criminalise people who are unable to work to support a child? Just people that have an income from but don't pay?

quesadilla · 28/01/2013 14:34

In Brazil you can be imprisoned for not supporting children. I think it's a good idea in principle but pretty hard to enforce. Also there would have to be loopholes (someone unable to work due disability, for example, would not be able to make much contribution and these loopholes would inevitably get taken advantage of. What about a situation where a man was unaware he had impregnated someone?

DialsMavis · 28/01/2013 14:35

Totally agree. Criminalisation would hopefully bring about a change in attitude. Paying for your DC should be 100% non negotiable and not doing so should be viewed by society as repugnant. Consequences should be real and harsh. What do people think about the current system where the figure payable is reduced when the NRP has more DC?

Kendodd · 28/01/2013 14:37

"but if contraception fails, as a woman you have the choice whether to go ahead with the pregnancy. If you are a man, you don't get to make that decision. "

The always have the choice to not have sex, or using a condom (I know these sometimes fail though.

Regardless, imo the right of the child to be supported financially (if this is the only support on offer) trumps the father's 'right' to walk away.

Original poster
VinegarTits · 28/01/2013 14:38

if a woman gets pg then they both have to face up to that responsibility, otherwise men all over the place would just say 'right have a termination' simples, when its the woman who has to live the mental and physical concequenses of putting her body through that

many times i have heard it said on here that if a woman doesnt want to have a child she shouldnt have sex, well the same goes for a man

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread