A thought about thinking?

Question

When can someone be said to be able to think and take responsibility for their actions?

Many have said that a child should not be held responsible for their actions as they are too young to be able to know what they are doing. This is the case for many schools in Australia in regards to bulling. Children who bully are regarded as being unable to take responsibility for their actions, even in cases where the child who has been bullied has possibly major physical and psychological injuries that may stay for life, I have seen one such (and not isolated case) for myself where the child had a broken arm, lactations and mental anguish and the teacher and police could do nothing since he was 10 years old (this wasn't the first time).

So my question is at what point do children have to take responsibility for their actions? After how many times, what action, what damage done must we say enough is enough you will be held accountable like adults are?

Please explain your answers.
Thanks

Answer 1

A good question. No easy answers. In the eyes of the law, I believe a child has to be 12-13 years old to have any legal action taken. Bullying is a horrible thing & often begins when a child is quite young. Even if they can not be charged criminally I still think actions should be taken by schools, parents, the law & society to prevent the situation from getting worse. If a 10 year old child bullies others & gets away with it they may become a serial killer by the time they're 30. It's a serious issue that needs to be dealt with not ignored. Bullying is a sign of serious emotional and mental problems. A child that bullies should get counselling to find the source of it & deal with it. They should get behavioural therapy so that they can stop before it gets worse. Victims of bullies also need counselling. School kids can be brutal. They need a scapegoat & will pick on anyone vulnerable. It makes me sick. I saw firsthand what bullying can do. It's hard for a victim to be abused mentally & physically each day. It destroys you inside.

Unfortunately schools normally turn a blind eye & figure it's just kids being kids. After some of the school shootings maybe they'll be a little more cognizant of how dangerous the issue can become. Parents of bullies are often part of the problem and may not be very helpful or cooperative...Sometimes the community and the police should step in when the problem is not being dealt with by parents & schools.

Children do need to be taught that they are responsible for their actions. Once they are old enough to know right from wrong (of course this may vary from one child to another but certainly by 10 years they should have a grasp on it...) then they must be held accountable for their actions. It's not as though they don't know any better. Even if they can't go to jail they should be sent for counselling or sent to a home for juvenile delinquents. There should be some sort of punishment and a chance at rehabilitation. The worst thing you can do is teach a child that they can get away with murder, literally. The warning signs are normally there early. A child who hurts other children or animals will become a youth who commits violent crimes and will become a man capable of killing. At one point do you stop him? How about before it's too late?

Answer 2

Very good question... I truly think that although they are too young to understand the implications of their actions, they should still be punished each and every time. It could create confusion if they get away with it one- who knows how many times, and then all of a sudden they are punished for it. Also think of it this way. You are in the play ground and some kid punches you. Nothing is done and things go on. The next day the same kid punches someone else, and gets punished, that could cause a sense of injustice to you. Think for a minute the meaning behind Social Behaviour... It is the behaviour we learn is acceptable, or not acceptable within our society. We are very much programmable beings, and the importance of right and wrong should start from the get go.
CyberNara

Answer 3

A child is not just someone without responsibility. A child is also a work in progress.

When a child does something egregiously wrong, not being responsible does not mean that nothing should happen to the child. Corrective measures must be taken, so that the child may end up as a responsible individual.

I believe that, when "punishment" is witheld because the transgressor is a child, what that really means is that the child won't be punished just for the sake of punishment.

Answer 4

Everyone should be held accountable for their actions whatever age they are. Children learn right from wrong from a very early age (i'd put it at about 4-6 yrs) and it is not right to allow them to get away with wrongs on the pretext that they are unable to tkae responsibility for their actions. However if the law stipulates that minors shall not be held accountable for their (criminal) actions then just let it be. The bully will one day get what they deserve...probably in this life or the afterlife

Answer 5

When my daughter was less than a year old, still in a high chair, I caught her throwing food off the side 'yet again'. I raised one eyebrow and something-like-growled her name to get her attention and let her know I noticed and was displeased. She looked at me and back at the food she'd tossed, and acknowledged, "No." If a child under a year old can recognize that her action was a 'no,' certainly a school-aged child can recognize that harming another child is also a 'no.'

Most undesirable behavior in most children doesn't call for adult-level consequences, but a 10-year-old who does the kind of damage you've described is in need of some serious counseling and then some. Meanwhile, if this took place in the U.S., his parents are liable for the medical costs, costs associated with counseling, and potentially punitive damages.

Answer 6

All are responsible for their actions but how much resposible should be dependent upon age, and of course other factors. For example, if an infact had a habit of smacking adult in the eye, the child will be held responsible in the fact that the adults won't bring him or her close enough next time. Therefore, in that sense, the baby is held responsible in which he/she won't receive as much love as close as before. All actions, whether it is a machine, a natural occurence, or a human, if they are bad, are sought to be avoided again. That's basically the whole purpose. By it being sought to be avoided from happen again is the acknowledge of its responsibility for an action.

Answer 7

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