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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Would you report your child if your found out they had broken the law?

7 replies

Imhotep · 13/01/2011 23:56

Sorry if this has already been done. if it has, please ignore and let it slide off the page :)

Just following on from the mother who reported her son for throwing the fire extinguisher.

If you fould out your child had done something like that, or stolen something, or just done something that did not sit well on your conscience....would you hand him in or hide him?

I would hand him/her in.

OP posts:
goldtinsel · 14/01/2011 07:29

Depends.

Damage to property probably not.

Harm to people probably yes.

I would try to do something in either case that made them see the result of their actions and also try to get them to make amends.

Snorbs · 14/01/2011 07:40

It depends an awful lot on the context. Age would come into it as would the offence. It would be a horribly hard thing to do.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 14/01/2011 12:54

Me and DH had this conversation. I thought that he would say he definitely would (very moral), but he said the same as the two previous posters. depended on crime, age of DD etc.
Whatever, we decided it would extremely hard to do what was right.

maryz · 14/01/2011 20:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

anewyear · 15/01/2011 15:02

Twice my son stole from his Primary school, both times the school and I delt with it.
School with a days exclusion,
Me with holding all privledges and grounding him.
If there is ever a third time, I have told him I will not hesitate to call the police.

AMumInScotland · 15/01/2011 15:31

I think it would very much depend on the circumstances - what law, why they broke it, whether it was a one-off and they realise their error or are planning to keep doing it, whether I think it's causing harm to them or others.

If DS smoked a joint, I'd explain why I thought it was a bad idea, but wouldn't report him to the police. If he started taking heroin I'd think about whether the police getting involved would be the best way to help him or reduce the harm.

If he got in with a bad crowd and started shoplifting, I'd quite likely report him, to shock him out of it. If he nicked a parking cone on a night out, I wouldn't (though I'd tell him to take it back next night!)

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