Parental Responsibility Revisited

Imagine: One day a police officer knocks on your door. Standing next to him is your son Johnny, who has a look on his face that tells you he’s either done something incredibly dumb and illegal, or he just ate an entire box of Moon Pies. You cross your arms and wait for the officer to tell you the bad news about your little troublemaker. But to your surprise, the officer tells you that little Johnny isn’t the only one in trouble here: “Sorry, ma’am, but we’re going to have to fine you for not preventing your son from making the wrong decisions.”

Scenarios like this will become reality next month when Los Angeles County starts prosecuting parents for their kids’ bad behavior—in this case graffiti:

Seeking to hit graffiti vandals and their parents in the pocketbook, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved a measure that would allow authorities to hold taggers—and their parents—liable for civil damages.
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The thinking behind the approach, said Supervisor Gloria Molina, who introduced the ordinance, is to shake up parents and guardians who are in denial about their children’s actions, unaware of them or simply don’t care. It is another tool to hold the adults accountable, she said.