11 year old drunk driving? Parents Responsability?

Question

I posted a question about this 11 year old kid drinving drunk. I wanted to know if parents should be hold accountable. Many people said that no, cause they did not give her the keys or the alcohol, that if they were working and not knowing what was going on, then the parent should not take the blame...Dont you think that the fact of not knowing what your child is up to, is proof of negligence? HOW CAN SOMEONE NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR 11 year old is doing..>I have a 13 year old and I know what he is doing, where he is and who is he with...I drive by the palces he goes, I speak to the parents of whomever he goes to, and If I have to stay with him I do I dont care what he says or what other people says.. I listen to his phone conversations and I also check his computer history and go through his papers. I will be on his back until he is 18...Getting a car, getting alcohol, and driving...There is no way he can do that...

Children can make bad choices..but in my case if my child makes a bad choice, it will be the responsability of the adult that he was under supervision at that time...Either me, the school or the parent of whomever he was at...

I know what my child is doing, trust me...There is no way he can get a car, or alcohol..cause there is always and adult supervising where he is...If by any chance it does happen..it is the resposability of the adult that was there with him..not his...Children are children, and until they grow up, the will not understand the true meaning of consequences. They are still learning and their morale is not totally developed...they can make bad choices, I know that, that is why I cant trust 100% in my child...no matter how well I have raised him..That is why he should always be supervised...

If you do not have time to supervise your child, then dont have any kids...

Answer 1

yes parents should be held responsible...especially if they have neglected to take care of their kids...for an 11 year old to be this reckless, have no respect for authority or the property of others, and to endanger so many lives...there has to be a lot going on at home...

yes we are responsible...we are the ones who like it or not at the time, made the decision to bring them into this world...we assumed the responsibility to bring them up and make them the best person they can be...we are not wild animals...and even if we were, animals have more loyalty to their children and assume the role as parents for as long as their species expects them to be...

i would be curious to find out what if any positive adult influence this kid has in her life...if parents of trouble kids are not held responsible to a certain extent, and if kids are not given the help they need once they screw up...this will only become another misfit that society has to deal with...

i am responsible for my kid and what he does....and to those who say that you can't know what your kid is doing...i say yes you can...it's impossible to do this 100%, (this world is not perfect) but the closer you are the better the benefit for your child...i made the decision to have him...i was the one proudly showing him off and enjoying him when he was a young child...now, i am the one who has to do everything in my power to make sure that he grows up free of all the crap that's out there..and if that means i have to be police, security guard, private investigator, counselor, etc..then i must do it...i can't expect for the world to be responsible for him...as nicky said, i know where he is, with whom, and at what time, i know what he is doing...and i also make sure that i check everything from his clothes, to his friends and more importantly, his friends parents...i need to know that he will be protected and taken care of..and that there will be someone as responsible as i am in charge of him...

right now, he is at home, with his friend...whose mother watches her kid like a hawk as i do...if he goes to school he calls when he goes on break, i drop him off, he comes back home he calls when he leaves school and when he gets home...i take him and his friends to the movies...i don't go in..but i sure sit out in the parking lot waiting for them...his friends spend the night at my house...just to mention a few things...

so i do agree with you...if you don't put in the hard work, then you can't really expect to get great results...and you can't then blame these people who grow up to be a wreck...

Answer 2

Why didn't the parents instill upon their child that drinking is not a good choice at 11 years of age? Why didn't they make it clear that they shouldn't drive until the kid got a permit? Furthermore, why didn't the parents share with their child that driving drunk is a very, very bad idea? When I was 11 I knew that it was not acceptable for me to drink or steal my parent's car! My mother knew where I was at all times as well, after I asked permission to go somewhere. Not only should the parents hold high expectations for their children, but they should also lead by example. Yeah, accidents happen, but an 11 year old driving drunk is not an accident. That child was driving over 100 mph and crashed the car! The child made the choice, and the parents were negligent.

I know some people might think that checking your son's computer history (especially other 13 year olds) may think it's an invasion of privacy, but he's 13 and you bought the computer. Especially with young children, it is important to make sure they are safe on the computer! When my youngest sister-in-law was only 8, I caught her chatting online with a stranger and she was about to give away her home address!

Answer 3

What does this all mean? You are being charged for the impounding and towing of your car. There is a daily storage charge for this service. Improper plates is a valid reason for impounding a car. You should never put license plates on any car they are not registered to, as I am sure you now know! You blew a .05 BAC. You were in possession of enough alcohol to cause this reading. whether you had possession of any additional alcohol is beside the point. The officer's case for MIP is proven by your BAC above zero. The failure to signal is what the officer noticed first in all likelihood. The other charges were for offenses noticed during the vehicle stop for the primary issue. What should you do? Get ready to pay some huge fines, even if the court believes the old "I was using my seat belt" defense ... there are still enough offenses left to put one heck of a dent in your wallet! Get ready for the view from the passenger's side of the vehicle until you are 21! Driving under the influence and/or Minor in possession will get your license suspended or revoked until you are 21 in most states!

Answer 4

If the child was 15 or 16, I would need to know more details to form an opinion. But she was 11. I agree with you 100%. The parents absolutely should be held responsible. That is nothing short of gross negligence on their part. If another adult was supposed to be babysitting her (yes, an 11 year old needs a babysitter), then he or she should be the one held responsible.

Answer 5

I agree with you - it is the parents' responsibility. However, ask any grownup - they did things without their parents' knowledge sometimes.
When my son was 11, he sneaked (snuck?) out of the house at 2 a.m. while I was sleeping and decided to try driving the car. He got pulled over a few blocks away, of course. The officer thought my son was a drunk driver, because he was going so slow.
He got cited for driving barefoot and not wearing a seat belt!!!! Nothing about a drivers' license!
It was horrible to answer the door and see policemen with my 11 year old son!! My son made a bad decision, as kids do sometimes. I paid the $ 40 fine and made him work it off with yard work and extra chores. It took him quite a while.

Answer 6

Legally, the parents can be held responsible for
the actions of their under age children. It's the law.
As a parent, I too want to know where my child is at all times and who she is with. My daughter is 15.
What I want to know is whether the people who supplied the alcohol will be arrested and jailed for
contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Also, they should be charged with allowing the intoxicated minor drive. If hosts of parties, where alcohol is served, can be held responsible then surely these people must also be held responsible as well.

Answer 7

I think it is absolutely the parents responsibility. An eleven year old who otherwise behaves herself and follows the rules is not suddenly going to get drunk and get behind the wheel of a car. There must have been a history of misbehaving. If the parents were working, therefore, they should have taken precautions with such an out of control child.

Regardless of the circumstances, our children are our responsibilities until they are eighteen. Parents shirk responsibility too often and try to blame anyone and anything other than themselves.

Answer 8

Here is what will happen. The parents cannot be charged with any criminal responsibility for the child's drunken driving. However, the case will be referred to Department of Health and Human Services for an investigation into Child Neglect. Based upon the findings of that investigation, charges may be filed for neglect. If you want this to change so that it is a more direct approach, then write to your State and Federal Congresspeople.

Answer 9

The parents will be responsible for any damages their minors inflict. Should they go to jail for their moron kids? no. You are lucky that you have a child that you have the time to control. You will be surprised what a kid can do outside their parents line of sight if they have a mind to.

Answer 10

Yes!!!