| arents or should parent’s be liable for their | | | | child specifically or their children if there are a |
| kids actions, misdeeds or even crimes? A good | | | | number of their children involved, rather than only |
| question that has been discussed hashed and | | | | one. If you had to pick a description of the word |
| rehashed from the dawn of man and women. | | | | “vicarious” itself the description |
| What is the legal view of this – regardless | | | | could well be “substitute”. Indeed in |
| of what experts such as the noted experienced | | | | some areas and legal jurisdictions, in a similar |
| legal expert and consultant William Simpson has | | | | manner and model, owners of vehicles (parents |
| noted? It can be easiest and simply said that | | | | or not), who knowingly allow their vehicles to be |
| parents are generally not liable for their kids | | | | driven to be driven by underage drivers, who are |
| “torts”. A “tort” in | | | | both under the age necessary for a |
| law can be said the general law that is used and | | | | driver’s license and the age of consent as |
| given for wrongs that are not in the guise of | | | | well, can be held vicariously liable for negligence of |
| contracts between people or of events being paid | | | | these persons (including children and underage |
| for in an agreed contract and not fulfilled or done | | | | minors) who drive a car or truck with the |
| poorly. What this means is that for accidents or | | | | owner’s consent. |
| crimes done without the agreement of the | | | | It can be said that the action of someone who |
| aggrieved beforehand are covered by an area of | | | | was injured by a child or minor might well attempt |
| law referred to as “torts” or | | | | in a court of law to hold the parent’s liable |
| “tort law”. The basic question is | | | | not so much for the act of the child or underage |
| then for such crimes and deeds should parents be | | | | minor but rather for the facts that the parents |
| held liable for the actions of their kids and children. | | | | might well be held responsible due to a lack of |
| It is the kid who did the deed not the parent. | | | | supervision or care of the parents. |
| Parents are seldom held responsible – that | | | | Children learn from what they see and observe. It |
| is according to the law. However suing an | | | | might be called a case of “monkey see |
| underage minor is like trying to dry water from a | | | | monkey do”. However in dysfunctional |
| dry well: that is the pump may work well but no | | | | homes and situations people who grow up in |
| matter how hard you try no water, or only a | | | | these environments come to believe that the |
| small amount – a trickle, will ever come | | | | environment that they grow up in is the |
| out or be produced. The child or underage minor | | | | “right” or “correct |
| may well be held at fault – held guilty and | | | | “ one – that this perhaps is the |
| liable under the law – but that person will | | | | “only way to act”. |
| have no means what so ever to pay. The | | | | Thus it can be said that parents of children and |
| expression in this situation is often that | | | | adolescent teenagers have a responsibility and |
| “you cannot get blood (or in this case | | | | duty to both provide a good environment, full and |
| money) from a stone”. | | | | proper supervision of their children and be a |
| What options are available to the aggrieved party | | | | proper role model as well. If not parents can be |
| or parties? The law itself may try to remedy this | | | | held liable to some degree for the actions of their |
| apparent situation by holding the parents | | | | children – that is if it can be shown that |
| vicariously liable for their children or by ruling that | | | | the parents did not provide full and proper |
| the parent or parents are negligent in failing to | | | | supervision of their charge. |
| exercise proper control and supervision over their | | | | |