Fourteen year old Johnny decides to skip school…who should pay for his mistake? Virginia, New Mexico, and Atlanta along with other states believe Johnny’s parents should pay! The states have begun to enforce a law punishing the parents whose children skip school in excess, the consequences being jail time or $1000 fine. Like any law, this one also has its positives and negative aspects. The question is which aspects will have the most influence on the public?
The truth is that now a days it has become much more difficult for parents to have control over their children. Most parents work full time jobs and are unable to watch over their children starting at a very early age. It is very possible that these parents do care for their children and try their best to gear them in the right direction. However, there are adolescents that just don’t care or think about the consequences before acting, regardless of any intervention by the parents or school. In this situation are the parents really to blame? What if a single parent has to be in work by 7am? This parent trusts that his/her child will get on the bus and go to school. If the parent can’t afford to go into work late or his/her boss will not allow it, what should they do? Is it ethical to fine a hard working parent just because their child is acting like a teenager? According to the American Civil Liberties Union “One person should not be help culpable for the infractions of another” (Ncpa.org).ome students might see this as “getting off the hook”, they do the crime and their parents pay for it! Aside from behavioral problems, there are other factors that must be taken into account such as, bad living conditions and jobs taken to help support the family.
On the other hand, are there parents who just don’t care or try hard enough? Of course there are! This law would surely be a clear cut warning for them, discipline your child or you will be disciplined. Faced with this scenario, parents would definitely try to discipline more effectively and take charge and control of their children. The punishment is severe and it’s very likely that there will be parents as well as students who will respond to it by changing their ways. This, as expected, is usually a last resort to prevent truancy. As done in DeKalb County in Atlanta, parents and students are given warnings and offered counseling before resorting to the extreme of jail time or fines. Should the parents who are taking these warnings seriously be punished to the same extent as those who are not?
Adolescence is a time when most kids are not thinking rationally and are easily influenced by their peers. It is very easy to be pressured or just decide not to go to school for the day. The parents of these truants should be responsible for disciplining their children.
As previously stated, the government has warnings and counseling programs for teens and parents. We believe that the parents who take these workshops seriously and decide to take part in their child’s education should be punished less then those who do not. Perhaps not necessarily jail time, but we do believe that it is important to punish the parents who think that their child’s education is not important enough to be a part of. We are the future of America, and it is very possible that America will fall because of students and parents who do not take education seriously.
References
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/stories/2008/09/20/truant_arrests_students.html
http://www.ncpa.org/pi/edu/pd120699d.html
20 responses so far ↓
jplivmi // October 25, 2008 at 3:40 am |
How exactly does putting parents in jail solve the issue of truancy? Deterrence? Unlikely since over 2 million people are jailed in the United States.
How is a parent being jailed helpful to keeping that child in school? A stupid and useless solution to a bigger problem. We got away from the idea of it takes a village to raise a child, and replaced it with take care of your damn kids you terrible parents. If we continue down the path of a nation of “me” instead of a nation of “we” this problem will only get worse.
As much as we would like to think that we don’t need anyone else to live our lives we are all sorely mistaken. We rely on all kinds of people every day.
Jail is not the answer to every problem. How about mandatory counseling and/or parenting classes? Seems a bit less drastic then throwing parents in the slammer for kids truancy problems.
bayernchic18 // October 25, 2008 at 11:28 pm |
I was shocked that Virginia, New Mexico, and Atlanta are enforcing a law punishing the parents whose children miss school excessively. The consequences are jail time or a one thousand dollar fine. I think it is difficult to implement this law because like the article states what happens if the parent is a single parent who has to be at work by 7 AM and has to work until very late. Perhaps this single parent cares about their child, but they are just unable to make sure their child gets to school. This single parent is in a very difficult position. The single parent might also be lower class, which further complicates the issue. Is it fair to force a lower income person to pay for their child missing school? Or if this single parent goes to jail, who will provide for their family? The ACLU does not think “one person should not be held culpable for the infractions of another”. I tend to agree with this statement. We need to examine individual child/parent situations and not impose harsh laws that are detrimental to parents. I think what DeKalb County does in Atlanta is a good idea. They give parents and students fair warnings and also offer counseling before resorting to the extreme of jail time or fines. This seems like a fair solution to this growing problem. The county seems to care by offering counseling to the people at risk. I don’t think we should rely on harsh fines and prison time to solve this problem.
mindy1 // October 26, 2008 at 3:00 pm |
I was amazed after reading this article that Virginia, New Mexico, and Atlanta as well as other states are enforcing a law punishing parents whose child skips school. I can’t believe that a parent would have to face jail time or $1,ooo fine. I don’t think that a parent is necessarily to blame for this and should have to face punishment for something that someone else did, in this case their child. Some parents both have to work because because they have no choice. I do feel that a child should face consequences for this. Maybe there could be a punishment for the child such as doing communuity service. I also feel that parents and children both should go for counseling to see where the problem lies. I also feel that parents should be involved in their children’s education and be aware of what is happening in their child’s life.
brosenfeld // October 30, 2008 at 4:23 pm |
I am not sure if the punishment of jail for parents is the right answer. In my personal opinion this seems to be extreme. It is possible that the student’s choice to miss school might be a result of parenting, but the answer lies deeper. At times children make choices to receive their parent’s attention. If the parents at home are not around to spend time with the child these rebellious acts could be the answer to change the scenario. The state of our economy at the moment has made life harder. At work there are numerous problems than ever before, requiring people to work longer hours. All these result in less time spent with your family. Jail should not be the answer to solving a child’s lack of attendance at school. It appears to be quite scary. What is the world coming to? Are parents not able to control their child’s actions? Why are the parents suffering for their child’s decisions? This might be a wake up call to parents to become more active in their child’s life. If they are working more than usual, call your child’s teachers to find out their progress. On the other hand ask your child to show you grades and information from school. This will require your child to attend school on a regular basis because they will be unaware of when you might ask for information.
microdes80 // November 2, 2008 at 10:00 pm |
I think punishing parents who are unresponsive to their child’s truancy may be a necessary deterrent; however I think there is a fine line to follow. In many situations parents are taking their child’s behavior seriously but they are not able to control the situation. In those situations I believe it is the job of the teachers and the school to step in and work together with the parents to address the child’s truancy issue. Chances are there are a variety of factors causing the child to miss school and in extreme cases those causes should be addressed. Another major point is that one size does not always fit all. Although fines and possible jail time may be an effective way to deal with unresponsive families, that is not always the case and the laws should reflect that. Too many times people and families fall through the cracks of the system due to laws that are not relevant. So with regard to truancy I think we should come up with a system that addresses the potential complexity of the issue and establish a system of responses accordingly. If more energy were put into finding the cause and establishing a solution then I think there would be an overall improvement with regard truancy.
lgottlieb15 // November 3, 2008 at 4:26 pm |
Let’s see, making parents responsible for their children’s truant behavior. We already do that in the courts. If a minor is found to have caused monetary damage in a civil court, the parent is financially responsible, regardless of their economic status. So I sort of see the congruence of thinking here. The thing I don’t like is when schools punish a student for truancy by suspending them. That, is a dream come true for a kid who is unhappy going to school. Parents are responsible for their kids going to school. Some sort of consequence is necessary to upgrade the concept of truancy to that of breaking any other law. School is mandatory. But, putting parents in jail? What a public admonishment! However, jail has not been shown to be a deterrent to crime, why should it be so here? The assumption here is that each family is a two parent household. Unless the state is going to provide for childcare during a parent’s incarceration, who does that help? The parent will most likely lose their job. Who does that help? Some school send home a behavior contract which must be signed by both parent and student on the first day of school. Noncompliance with the code of conduct should result in more school time, not less. A student should be required to stay after for tutoring, community service, elimination from school activities such as sports, all consequences which will affect both parent and child. It will also help to mold a more responsible and civic minded child. I think we know why kids skip school, act out. It has to be made completely unacceptable. Students of all SES families fall into this pattern. Personally, I think there are too many holidays, the school day is too short, too many occasions that are deemed more important than going to school. We need to raise the bar on this, present school as a priority, relate it to sociability and community, put the focus on learning and responsibility and self governing.
abp91966 // November 3, 2008 at 9:25 pm |
I do not uderstand the fact of putting a parent in jail for teen truency. There are many parents who are very involved with their childs education and the students still skip school. Punishing the parent is not going to make that student attend school. If anything the student will probably skip school more because there is even less supervision now along with the fact that they see they are not being punished for their wrong doing. I think in this case the student should be held accountable for their actions. Like someone else stated suspension of this student is definately a reward not a punishment. I also agree that there may be a deeper meaning as to why this student is skipping school and the school along with the parents should work together and try to figure out what this problem may be.
rvacker // November 4, 2008 at 8:22 pm |
I think it’s important to hold the child accountable for thier actions, especially if there choosing not to get on the bus or to cut classes. It means alot more when the child is disiplined for the crime then the parent. If a parent is neglecting to send thier child to school and finds school to be unimportant, then the parent should be held accountable.
jackiehali29 // November 6, 2008 at 2:45 am |
I do not think that putting a teenager in jail and/or punishing the parent for this will solve the issue of teen truency. There are many hard working parents out there that do need to be in work early and will lose their jobs if they are constantly late to see if their child is going to school. Even if they were to do this, they have no control over their teenager once they arrive at school and if they decide to cut classes. Teenagers are still “young” and do think “irrationally” sometimes but there are plenty who know that going to school is important for their future. I believe the true punishment will be given when they are unable to graduate from high school or are put in summer school to re take all of the classes they have failed. Forcing a student to stay in school will not benefit them if they do not want to be there, this is not saying that they should be encouraged to skip but they need to learn from other consequences rather than jail why this is the wrong thing to do and that they are only harming themselves in the end.
hsiax // November 8, 2008 at 12:45 am |
I do not think punishing the parents for their child skipping school is the right route because like the article said, in today’s society parents need to work and it is not their fault that they are not home to watch what their child is really doing. The teen should be held accountable yet putting them in jail is not right either. I think there should be a different consequence such as enforce community service. Jail is just too harsh and by fining them $1000 it will not teach them a lesson because who is going to pay that fine? The parents. Teenagers are going to do what they want and if what they want to do it skip school then they will. All you can do is tell them that in the end when they do not meet the standards for graduation or do not make it into college, not to come crying to administrators or their parents. They want to act like adults then they can take care of that problem like an adult. That is the real punishment!
rence73 // November 9, 2008 at 9:25 pm |
Once again a politician is sticking his or her nose in where it does not belong. Fining a parent for a student ditching school is short sighted. Generally there is a greater reason for a chronic absent high school student than parental supervision. The student either is not able to comprehend the curriculum, needs more assistance or should be in a technical school environment instead of a traditional school setting. No parent in their right mind will allow their child to rob themselves of their education. Parents for the most part want what is best for their child, if not they shouldn’t be fined but the child should be taken by the state. Lets be honest, what are the odds of the “bad” parent paying the fine anyway? We need to find something positive for the student not negative for the parent.
brittsalina // November 11, 2008 at 7:18 pm |
This is absolutely absurd! How does punishing a parent for their child’s actions solve the problem? This is not teaching a child to be responsibile for their own actions. It is teaching the exact opposite, that students can be irresponsible at someone else expense. There are always going to be underlying reasons why a child decides to skip school, whether it be peer pressure, probelms at home, or just pain neglegence of the parents. If it is the latter of the three who is to say punishing the parents will solve the issue? This solution may indeed create bigger problems. If parents are jailed or fined parents will be home less as they may need to work to pay off their debts or spend a day or two in jail. This means they have less time to be home with their children to effectivly deal with their misconduct.
sleyerx13 // November 14, 2008 at 7:51 pm |
I understand the need to hold parents responsible for the actions of their children. It is by law a parent’s job to make sure their children are receiving a proper education, and based on that, this law has complete legal backing.
However, if we are prosecuting the parents, why stop there? Is it now the bus driver’s responsibility to make sure all students get on the bus and walk directly off the bus into school? That is his job, and yet how often does that happen? Are teacher’s responsible if a child signs into school but is not present in third period? Most truancy does not occur on the home front. These children come to school and then leave again, or decide to take three period lunch breaks, or hang out in an empty classroom, the back field, or the local pizzeria.
It is the school’s responsibility to report this to parents, but for the most part that never happens. Students are given detention or supervision and let on their merry way. Many parents are unaware there is even a problem until the progress report period. How can we prosecute parents when they are not being given adequate information
alouchart // November 17, 2008 at 5:36 pm |
Truency is a huge problem at my school. We have an eighth grader who I have not seen for over 2 years. She will be failing eighth grade yet again this year, and she will remain on our attendance until she reaches the age of 16. Something has to be done. While I do not agree with jail time, I do agree that there could be some monetary fine. Counseling will only work for those with time or those willing to go… if parents aren’t taking the time to get their kids to school, where are they going to find the time to go to counselling?
As a parent, if my teen refused to go to school I would refuse to buy him anything beyond what I had to. No new clothes, no new shoes, no nice meals, no toys, no games, no TV…
There is a lot that these parents can do to get their kids to school. MOST of them aren’t doing anything but crying that they can’t control their teen, meanwhile their teen walks around with a brand new phone, new sneakers and clothes….
jaymie0215 // November 19, 2008 at 1:26 pm |
The reality is, is that teens are going to skip school whether their parents are invovled or not. How are the school districts to decide who is a fit parent and who is not? What if the parents are working when the important meetings are being held? I don’t believe in punishing the parents for something the child is doing. Jail time also seems kind of harsh for skipping school. Maybe these teens need someone to point them in the right direction but placing them in a jail is hardly doing so. Why don’t the school districts come up with a more constructive consequence (community service, volunteer work, career training, life skills). Maybe school isn’t for some of these children but it is the district and the parents job to find out where they are headed and provide some guidance.
jennifermassaro // November 30, 2008 at 12:09 pm |
I agree that something needs to be done to change teen truancy. When my parents were in school there were actual police officers that were truancy officers. It was their job to find students that were cutting school. I obviously understand that other crimes such as rape and murder that are more important police work than a truancy officer. But, cops do not even interest themselves in students that they actually catch cutting class.
I agree that in some situations it is the parents lack of supervision or interest that leads to students feeling that cutting school is alright. In most situations I do not feel that parents are to blame for their child’s truancy. In fact most parents are unaware that there child is cutting class and they do punish the child when they discover their cutting school. In fact I spoke to a parent last week that caught her child cutting class. It ws the first time the child had cut class and the parent was a single mother that worked fifty hours a week to ensure a decent lifestyle for their child. When they discovered that their daughter cut class she was so upset and she made a point of telling me a mere aquaintance that she would make sure it was the last time her daighter cut school. from listening to her it was clear that she was devastated by her daughter’s truancy and punishing her for this action would be addding insult to injury.
I do realize that jail time is the last resort in the states that have adopted this policy. I also realize that they have counseling in place that is mandated before the extreme measure of a fine or jail time. My issue is there are many single parents that in this economy are working two jobs just to pay the bills and these parents do not have the time fo mandatory counseling. a parent shoudl not put their job and in turn their life in jeopardy for something that their child did. I agree that a parent has a responsibility to raise their child and to do their best to teach them the right values. but I feel that actions speak louder than words adn a child who demonstrates responsibility by working two jobs is doing more good than by attending a counseling session. The school and the parent need to work together to guarantee the best for their child. But the school needs to work with the parent to find the best method for working with the students truancy.
tagnes86 // December 3, 2008 at 5:29 pm |
Well, I find this article quite interesting and before this, I never knew that certain states had a law that the PARENTS would be punished if their child decided to skip a day of school. In my opinion, that is very extreme and is very ridiculous. I mean think about it, there are many dedicated hard-working parents out there trying to built a great life for their own children. This may mean that some parents have to be at work at 6:00 AM until 9:00 PM. They can not control this because if they do not work, then they will have no income to buy what the child needs (food, clothing, healthcare, school supplies, etc.), and the would be considered neglect. This is a really tricky subject to discuss… I feel that in situations like this, it is very difficult to keep up with your child. Adolescence for example, should already know the difference between what is right and what is wrong and the consequences of their own actions. If a child in high school decided to cut school for the day, and the parents are UNAWARE of their cutting school, the parents should NOT be arrested or fined. However, as the duty of a parent, you should take action when you do find out about the situation because if you do not take care of it, then unfortunately it can continue to happen.
alyssa20 // December 11, 2008 at 4:05 am |
I think it is ridiculous to put parents in jail for their child’s actions. Parents already do so much for their children that they should not have to pick up the extra slack for them just because they simply can’t attend school. We can’t blame the parents for this. We can only blame our society. Our society has become a place where we are instantly gratified with everything. We have the internet on our phone, homes, public places etc. We can obtain whatever we want, when we need it, and wherever we want. Especially with students these days, they feel that they can do whatever they want because they are spoiled and receive whatever they want. Parents are responsible for their children, but as children get older they need to become more responsible and do for themselves. If a child can not simply attend school and try their hardest then what will the outcome of their life be? Will their parents be jailed because their child can’t get a job as well?
cc134 // December 18, 2008 at 9:02 pm |
Putting the parents in jail doesn’t exactly solve the problem. If anything that could just make the child worse with an absent parent/parents. I know from working in the public schools that truancy has really become a big issue. Adolescents are more likely to skip class and no tcare if they get in trouble. I see it all the time. I think it is important for the parents to be aware of the problem and take action on their own. If the problem continues thats when the school should get involved. In or out of school suspensions and then if continues further punishments should occur. Parents should be aware of these consequences and be notified if things are happening like this. I think it is unfair of us to just assume blame on the parents because maybe they are hardworking parents who just have an out of control child. The child at some point needs to take responsibility for their own actions!
lef86 // December 21, 2008 at 1:02 pm |
This is the first time I am ever hearing of such a thing. There has to be other substantial ways of handling this than forcing parents to face jail time. A lot of the time parents have nothing to do with the fact that their child is missing school, and in most cases parents are actually unaware of the situation completely. Students need to face the consequences themselves. If the punishment goes directly to the parents, what type of lesson is that teaching the student? If the situation is that serious that parents are being sent to jail, then why not rather force the child to go to a boarding school or something of that sort. Who is going to make sure the child goes to school when the parent is in jail? There are definitely other ways to enforce attendance laws.
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