Raising children is hard work, requiring parents to be able to protect children, instill the right values, and make them law-abiding citizens. Parents who have not succeeded in this and whose children commit a crime may be criminally responsible according to some states’ laws. Parents’ criminal liability includes the use of guns by children. While the child should not have any access to the parents’ weapons, several options could be considered in which adults should not be guilty.
The desire for greater security and the ability to protect families sometimes lead to the purchase of weapons. Thus, about a third of American homes have weapons, and slightly more than four and a half million children live in a house with guns (Hassan, 2018). Laws on the possession of firearms and parents’ responsibility for possible access to them by children differ in states. However, I believe that if parents decide to store such a dangerous item in the house, they should be responsible for this. Moreover, they are obliged to warn their children about the consequences of its use and tell the necessary safety rules.
Depending on the age and temper, the purpose and method of obtaining weapons by children may differ. Young children are more likely to find it and hurt another by accident due to their parents’ careless behavior. Adolescents behave more consciously and can specifically look for weapons, and their ability to injure someone can be not just an accident but depends on particular inclinations and education.
Thus, I believe that the possibility of parents’ criminal liability depends on the circumstances of the use of weapons by children. On the one hand, if such a situation accidentally occurred for children, and due to the parents’ irresponsibility, they should be punished accordingly. On the other hand, some teenagers may fall under the influence of people outside the family or be socially dangerous and deliberately seek a gun. In this case, the incident requires an assessment of all circumstances to determine the parents’ degree of responsibility.
Reference
Hassan, A. (2018). Can parents be charged for failing to keep their guns locked up? The New York Times. Web.