NJ Parents to be held responsible for unruly kids – Really?

Earlier this summer season, a number of incidences along the Jersey Shore popped up regarding unruly teens. So much so that it prompted one Jersey Shore town to start holding parents accountable for their children's actions.

There's actually a history with this as it turns out it's nothing new. To read more about that, check out Dan Alexander's story about the law that's already on the books here.

But outside of that, is it really fair to hold parents accountable if their kids act out? Is it even possible to manage that even when the kids are old enough to be out on their own?

Young kids are one thing. It doesn't matter how well-behaved they may seem, every child has those moments and the parents need to be ready to take control.

Now, is it always easy? Of course not. In fact, sometimes it leads to moments that leave the parents feeling embarrassed because everyone in the surrounding area had to witness what just went down.

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But when the kids become teens, it becomes an entirely different ballgame. Especially for older teens who might, or almost be old enough to drive.

If those particular teens begin to act unruly, should the parents ultimately be held responsible? I say no. At least, not if the kid only gets a slap on the wrist as a result.

For one, parents may feel like their hands are tied. At some point, you need to trust your kid. After all, you can't be with them everywhere and they need their freedom.

But what if it goes beyond that? What if child services show up at your home to monitor your parenting skills? It's a legitimate reason to be concerned should that become part of the punishment.

Police are more limited now than they used to be when it comes to controlling unruly kids, which makes it even tougher for them to step in and take control of the situation.

Fines and community service, on the other hand, aren't that unreasonable. However, the child must be part of the punishment. If they're not, then solely holding parents accountable won't do a thing.

Think about it. If minors are left alone while the parents get punished, how will that necessarily stop the kids from acting out next time?

And trust me, the kids will know it. If New Jersey as a whole wants to go forward and enforce something like this, the kids absolutely must be held accountable.

But parents shouldn't automatically be blamed. What if their child just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time? Sometimes a select few may act out but others get in trouble too even though they did nothing wrong.

It's a slippery slope to automatically target every parent. Perhaps we need stricter enforcement to help deter unruly behavior instead.

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Again, the kids will know if their parents get in trouble in place of them. Unless we find a way to ramp up punishment on the kids, going straight to the parents instead will only give unruly teens the green light to act out again further down the road.

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The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.