is having the lock on the outside of your childs door considered child abuse or against the law?

Question

just wondering

my son is into locking doors right now and i dont want him locking himself in his room.

my son is into locking doors and i dont want him to lock himself in is room in case of any emergencies and would not use it for any type of punishment. and i dont do it...im just asking a question.

Answer 1

I am in law enforcement and depending on what state you live in, it could be considered false imprisonment. If you were reported, at the very least, Child Protective Services would investigate you. If I were you, I would just switch out the doorknob to where it can't be locked from the inside or outside.

Answer 2

Hmmmm.... That's very interesting.... There are definitely times I wish there was a lock on the outside of my daughter's bedroom door....

I think the most important way to answer this question, is by first knowing the age of the child. Are we talking about a 6 year old, or a 16 year old? The age of the child, should definitely be taken into consideration...

Anyways, I guess it would depend on how and when this lock is used.. If you're using it to lock the kid in the room because of a condition that your child has which may cause them to harm their selves (i.e. sleepwalking) then I would say no. If you're using it as a way to punish, I wouldn't necessarily say that you're being abusive, just a bit harsh. Now if the kid is screaming, and banging on the door trying to get out, and you have the door locked, then maybe you should think of alternative ways of punishment.

Also, keep in mind the safety concerns associated with locking him/her in their bedroom.... you want to make sure there is a way for everyone to get out of the house in the event of an emergency.

Unfortunately parenting isn't black and white.. There are alot of grey areas, that we cross into, and sometimes they can get us in trouble. What ever your reasons for having the lock on the outside of the door, be safe, and keep in mind that your child is a human being...

Answer 3

Many states would consider this to be imprisonment. It could also be very unsafe in the case of a fire or other emergency situation. What would happen if the lock jammed and you could not get it open to get the child out safely??? If you are trying to keep the child safe due to sleepwalking or nearness of stairs, you can use a safety gate or there are alarm systems available which will go off when the door is opened. Have a good night.

Answer 4

I would just change the door knobs out with the kind that doesn't have a lock on them,then if there is an emergency you won't have to worry about the door being locked.

Answer 5

I wouldnt place a lock on the outside of the door. if your trying to keep a toddler from wondering around get a gate dont lock them in! that probably could be considered child abuse

Answer 6

In the state of Kentucky you would go straight to jail for that! That is considered child abuse. Not only is it disturbing you would ask that. But what if the house caught on fire or something terrible happened and your child couldn't get out because you had their door locked from the outside? Little extreme if you ask me.

Answer 7

It could be considered to be child abuse. If you are concerned about your child getting up at night and sleepwalking and hurting himself/herself, then maybe you should use a child gate across the doorway or get an infered sensor that could be put across the doorway, so that when your child walks through the doorway a buzzer would go off in your room.

Locking the child's room from the outside is definately a violation of your local fire code, because it would prevent your child from exiting the room on his/her own room in case of an emergency on his/her own. He/she would have to wait until you or someone else unlocked the door, before he/she could get out. If you or nobody else could unlock the door for any reason, then your child would be stuck helpless in their room.

If you and/or your husband lived and your child died because they were stuck in their room, then you and every other responsible adult who lived in the home would be facing criminal charges for not only child abuse, but also the wrongful death of your own child!

Personally, I wouldn't lock the child in the room, when there are other alternatives available that would allow him/her to get out in case of a fire or other emergency on their own.

Answer 8

no, children sometimes have a 6th sense during emergencies. If they are locked in then how are they going to get out during a fire. what happens if you fall asleep and a fire starts. I wouldn't even suggest shuting a door without a baby monitor in there with them. What if they fall and hurt them selfes climbing and yes all children will start climbing. what happens if they stick something in their mouth and get chocked. If they are old enough to open outside doors stick one of those chain locks on those doors.

Answer 9

Doing this type of thing will have a huge effect on a child's life.
It is almost like the old fashioned punishment of shutting a child in a wardrobe.

Even asking such a question shows that your kid is going to have a battle growing up.

Answer 10

don't ever lock the door from the outside. if your worried about your son locking himself in, take the door knob completely off until he's old enough to open it.