There is a view that parents should be held accountable for the crimes their children commit. On the face of it, given argument seems valid enough, as some parents are major catalysts in their children’s lives. However, it has some flaws as parents do not have as much control over their grown-up children as they once used to and punishing parents for their children’s wrongdoing is just a way of shifting the blame, which does not address the issue.
Parents, undoubtedly, have a significant role in forming their children’s behaviors and they are the primary influence on them while they are growing up. Surely, children take after their patents’ behaviors and their moral beliefs, and parents are the ones that are responsible to teach what is right and what is wrong. Additionally, children from secure and nurturing homes are less likely to be engaged in crimes rather that those who grew up in the abusive households, which explains why parents are responsible for their children’s behaviors and their way of thinking.
Said that, I would argue that the statement made that parents have complete control over their children’s doings is not as rational as initially thought. By definition, there are several factors that contribute to the children’s misbehavior, such as an excessive use of internet and media. It is widely known that most of children’s time is spent in front of the screens, where it is not difficult to come across violent content, which maybe the cause why children are prone to commit crimes.
What is more, once children grow up, they might as well consider being involved in the illegal doings, despite their parents’ warnings. It is important to consider that there are parents who try to give the best upbringing to their children, and the latter might be easily changed by the influence of the wrong gang, and eventually engage in misdemeanor, knowing that their parents are the ones to take the blame. Meaning to say that children are going to lose the fear of the punishment, as they are not the ones to receive it, but their parents are. Surely, in the given case parents have absolutely no fault in the misbehavior of their child, and he has to take the blame himself.
In conclusion, while parents are the most important figures while shaping the character of a child, it is crucial to note that their efforts in shaping their children’s behavior can be ruined by the outside factors. Therefore, they ought not be responsible for their children’s wrongdoings and other options should be considered.