An almost 80-year-old law is being revised to hold parents
more accountable for their children's behaviour amid increasing youth crime,
the outgoing chief probation officer has revealed to Barbados TODAY.
Denise Agard disclosed that the Probation Department is
currently reviewing the legislation to address parental responsibility.
She said: "The Probation Department is reviewing our
legislation which was in place from 1946, so we have a consultant working on
that right now and that will have some new provisions. One of the things that I
will highlight is that we would like to make parents more responsible for their
children."
"Parents have to take more responsibility," she
stressed. "The legislation will reflect that.
Obviously, it would have to be in draft form and has to go
to the various entities to verify if it is fair and equal."
Agard noted that while the legislation will undergo rigorous
review, the Probation Department stands ready to assist in whatever capacity
necessary to support parents and their children.
"It's not always about money, we love what we do, and
we are proud of the number of persons we would have had over the years to get
their lives back on track," she stated.
A new law in neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda holds parents
legally responsible for their children's misconduct. The legislation, which
includes curfews for minors and penalties of fines and imprisonment for parents
of children who loiter or engage in other offences, has prompted some education
officials to consider increased parental responsibility.
The legislation has sparked discussions here about whether
similar measures are needed to tackle rising youth crime and violence in
schools.
A spokesman for secondary school principals has stopped
short of backing the tough, new legislation in the Leeward Island CARICOM
neighbour. And the head of the union representing the nation's primary school
teachers also weighed in on the issue, pointing to the United States where
parents were prosecuted for their children's involvement in serious crimes,
including recent mass shootings.
President of the Barbados Association of Principals of
Public Secondary Schools (BAPPSS), Stephen Jackman, told Barbados TODAY that
while Antigua and Barbuda's approach might seem extreme, it reflects the
urgency needed to address the issue of undisciplined youth.
"While the steps seem to sound a little drastic, it
shows the urgency that the Antigua government is placing on dealing with
recalcitrant children and bringing some sort of accountability to the
system," he said.
The recently passed Child Justice Amendment Act in St John's
imposes stricter regulations on minors in public spaces and holds parents
accountable for failing to properly supervise their children. It also penalises
nightclubs, bars and event organisers who allow minors to remain on their
premises between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Parents found guilty of allowing their
children to loiter or violate curfew regulations face fines of up to EC$5 000
(BDS$3 738.67) and up to six months in prison.
Jackman cautioned against adopting such stringent laws in
Barbados but underscored the importance of finding ways to actively involve
parents in the counselling and rehabilitation of troubled students.
"I don't know that we should go as far as that type of
legislation, but there should be some mechanism to force the parents of these
students that are causing problems to be part of the counselling and
rehabilitative process," he added.
President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy
Lovell also agreed that parents should be held responsible for their children's
behaviour, at least to some degree.
"I would need to see the legislation in its entirety,
but I believe that some accountability should be had by parents for the actions
of their children," he said. "If you notice, in the United States,
parents are now being charged for the actions of their children, especially
when it comes to mass shootings."
"I think over the past couple of months, two parents
were charged with second-degree murder. I don't know if that has sent a message
to the other parents out there to intervene in any attempt by their children to
cause death or to inflict harm on anyone," he added.
Lovell said he remains hopeful that such accountability
could foster positive change but stressed the need for more research into the
potential impact of such laws.
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