Can someone legally demand your child come into their home to scold them for something minor? w/o parental...?

Question

My son was involved in an incident yesteday where he and another boy were breaking off wood pieces from a condemned neighborhood park play structure(it is being repaired) While he should not have been doing that, and we did deal with that issue, I feel the lady that caught them went way overboard. She was yelling and screaming at them and the other boys mother. She demanded my son come with her into her home(I don't know this lady). She questioned him about his dad and what he did for a living, before having him call us. She told my husband on the phone that the boys "destroyed the playground." She also said it was either call us or the cops. She threatened the cops to my son and his friend. My son was terrified and I know for a fact he was not disrespectful to her at all. I spoke with her after the incident, and while I appreciate her stopping them, I told her that I did not like the fact that she was threatening and screaming at the boys.

Answer 1

No, no no! This woman had no right to tell your child to enter her house. Please tell your son to NEVER enter another person's home for ANY reason, and if they try to force him, to RUN HOME. You should have called the police yourself and reported her for forcing your son into her house, and especially for asking questions about his family! I'd do it now anyway.

Answer 2

This woman has no LEGAL standing at all. Please inform your Local Authorities about this woman, because while it takes a Village to raise a child..it is up to the Parent(s) to deal with the actual problems.

Her forcing your son and his friend into her home is close to imprisonment for which she herself could go to prison.

I'm sure that you have drilled the 'Don't go into strangers homes' or ' Don't talk to strangers' and even the 'Don't take anything from strangers' into your son more times than you can think of............ children live to please and in some cases will go to great lengths to avoid upsetting an adult (it's a psych thing).
My daughter does not go out of the house unless she is wearing her special 'Alert' watch..I found it at Toys R Us for $20 (it comes in pink or blue) and it has 2 buttons that the child can press if they feel they are in danger (being forced into someone's home and given the 3rd degree qualifies)...pressing the buttons activates the alarm which can be heard 2 football fields away and lights flash on the watch---deactivation requires a special code that only the parent has (this keeps others from turning it off)...it also has a breakaway feature that sets the alarm off if someone grabs the child and breaks the watch off their arm.
Other than that it looks like a normal digital watch.

I have seen this thing in action and let me tell you, it brought an entire Walmart Superstore to a standstill----she became seperated from her daddy ( I was getting my nails done) and when a complete stranger approached her and told her that only 'bad girls' wander from their parents she freaked and pressed the buttons like I taught her.
Needless to say she sticks VERY CLOSE now and doesn't like to be out of my sight if she can help it (she now chooses me over daddy when we go shopping or to the park).

While I applaud your son for being respectful while this lady was not, let him know that the next time something like that happens (God Forbid)...he should pick up the nearest phone and call 911 and tell the person 'here I'll save you the trouble and call the police myself'...tell the operator it's an emergancy, he is a minor in trouble and if he doesn't have the address 'No address, please trace this call quickly'...he will need to stay on the line as long as possible...most phones will automatically register a address when called in (cell phones are the exception).
When the cops show up he should tell them the whole truth and what has happened-------the adult will take the 'Hot Water' rap since HE called for help.

Sorry this 'rotten apple' ruined your son's day. Please let him know that not all adults are THAT mean or rude.

Answer 3

Call a free legal advice lawyer over the phone,and find out about this. It doesn't sound right. I don't think she has any business kidnapping your son, and forcibly confining him in her home, and she should be charged with harassing and being a public nuance. I would have old her I was calling the cops on her, for holding my son in her home, and then I would have done it, and got the cops to pick him up and bring him home.

Answer 4

No she does not have the legal right to force your son into her house and if I was you I would have called the police on her. You might still want to do that. You might want to look into filing charges against her. You don't say how old your son is, but however old he is she went way overboard. If anyone did that to my kid I'd be livid. You should seriously think about notifying the authorities.

Answer 5

Get over it. Your son is a VANDAL! The lady did you a favor by giving your son a get out of jail free card. She scared the $h!t out of him, so be glad. If I see your or any other kid damaging property, the proper thing to do is call the authorities. Now quit your fussing and get your son into church. BTW what did your husband do? Legally she should have called the cops.

Answer 6

No she has no right to demand that a child come into her home. As an adult I wouldn't have gone. I would have been happy to call the cops for her though. You could nail her for criminal harrassment and probably something along the lines of criminal confinement. She could be charged.

Answer 7

You are right there. Your son did wrong but she should never have taken them into her home without your permission. If she wanted to talk to any of you then she could of taken down your address and phone number and contacted you.

Answer 8

Please tell your children not to enter any ones home ever, this could have turned into a tragedy. This woman was completely out of line with the way she handled this. It is not right to order children into your home. . Fortunately this incident turned out OK, but warn your child not to enter any strangers home ever again.

Answer 9

perhaps tell your son to run home as fast as he can the next time a stranger tries to lure him into his or her home.

she could have been a bigger nutcase than she was in the first place.

YOU could probably have reported her to the police for forcing a minor into her home? I'm not sure.

Answer 10

i would be very upset if someone forced my son into their home. she should have confronted the issue with you there. I think it was wrong of her to do that. not that it falls under abduction or anything but certainly reminds me of it.