Antigua & Barbuda Considers Legislation Holding Parents Accountable for Children’s Violent Actions

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The government is contemplating a new law that would make parents criminally responsible for their children’s violent behavior.

This is in response to the alarming increase in violence within schools

The Attorney General and Public Safety Minister, Hon. Sir Steadroy Benjamin, has highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue, emphasizing that parents who knowingly allow their children to possess implements that can cause harm or damage to others will be held liable if no action is taken to remove these items.

The proposed legislation aims to tackle the root causes of violence by ensuring that parents are actively involved in preventing their children from engaging in harmful behavior. By holding parents accountable, the government hopes to create a safer environment in schools and communities.

The move has sparked debate, with some arguing that parents should not be held responsible for their children’s actions.

However, supporters of the law argue that parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s behavior and should be held accountable if they fail to fulfill their responsibilities.

The government is expected to finalize the details of the legislation in the coming months, with the aim of implementing it as soon as possible.

In the meantime, efforts to address violence in schools continue, with authorities urging parents to take a more proactive role in guiding their children away from harmful behavior.

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22 COMMENTS

  1. Good First move. Now ask the Chinese for money to built a facility for Juvenile facility where they can be educated and rehabilitated . Many young parents are delinquents themselves with no fear of God or respect for anyone, they cannot teach what they do not know.

    • @Elizabeth Taylor February 15, 2024 At 10:27 am
      Have not seen you write under this name for a while. I agree 1000 percent with you. I hav long called for this to be done. But our legislators are afraid to do anything that can caused them the populary context and thereby loosing an election. But I believe one has to do the right thing without fear.
      Why is it that many of us do everything to raise law abiding and productive children for our society, while others just raise tugs and don’t care whatsoever. Parenting comes with responsibility. If a parent cannot control their child they should have the option to approch a magistrate to have the child removed from their home and put into the care of the state. Not that this should release the parent from all their responsibility. The parent still will be liable to pay the state monies to take care of this child. But the child will be under the authority of the state until the age of maturity and with a clean psychiatric report.
      And if the parent doesn’t volunteer this the police can take action to place such a child in such a facility

  2. You can give a child everything but a mind but there are some parents who are a big part of the problem. There are also some parents who are actually playing the reverse roll because they are afraid of their child/children. Yes I do believe some of these parents must be held accountable because they know and see the actions and behavior patterns. Some parents/guardians are actually the original copies of the actions and behavior of their children.

  3. People are so surprised that kids are violent but the video games and music is much more casually violent than when I was a yout man. People argue this alot but they spend so much time making games so lifelike that I feel on the brain this has some type of effect. There was always gunman song but now seems like all black music is negative so there is no escape. All foreign influence intended to do us harm.

  4. Please do it quickly, because some parents also encourage their children to behave bad against other children as well…

  5. Charity begins at home. Some parents want to have irresponsible sex, have these babies and still doesn’t want the responsibility to look for and after them. Then they blame everybody else and not themselves.

    • Compared to the US,Antigua is the size of a fly on an Elephant’s body.With a Population of 100,000 compared to 332 million.This is a move in the right directions.All parents should be held liable for the outside behaviors of their children.This should not be made into a political matter.The issue with parents these days.They want to be their children friends instead of parenting them.That is my opinion based on what I see.

  6. Enquiring minds want to know if this considered legislation is influenced by that case in the USA where a mother was jailed for her son killing someone. People wake up! Children’s violence is a reflection of what adults in society do and accept. Bad behaviour starts at the top and trickles down to both adults and children in the country. Case in point, this morning a big black vehicle carry a similarly structured big wig, overtook a waiting vehicle in front of his ministry in the midst of a traffic jam. This display of disregard for safety and disregard and disrespect for citizens as shown by his puffed-up response to being challenged is a large part of why children are being violent. I am by no means absolving parents of their responsibility, but when the AG is considering resolving violence in children, he and his colleagues need to ask themselves if they are displaying good behaviour for children to follow and promote non-violence.

  7. #Knee_Jerk reaction!
    There is a Culture Shock which is reverberating around the Nation, and while, some legislation will temporarily curb some of the violence, the root cause MUST ba addressed, simultaneously.

    One such root cause, is the importation of the #HAVE_NOTS to be used, and even abused by the #HAVES, to keep what they either recently acquired, or what they inherited in a CORRUPT SOCIETY.
    Here’s an example – DRUGS have “put fire undah plentee Neargah pot,”(drugs gave many HAVES what they’re now boasting on and protecting). The Street Thugs which began emulating, the North and South American Gang/Possee Culture, in the 1980’s to the present, aided and abetted by those in the purported upper echelon from politicians to business owners played their roles in allowing, this Street Thughish Culture to gain a footing, laid their foundation and built their fortresses.

    The #HAVE_NOTS did not just bring their Cilture(s)with them, they openly displayed it for all and sundry to see(preacher, lawyer, doctor, policeman, priest, governor).
    An example, of this culture is the open air SEX WORKERS which now saturates the BUDDING RED LIGHT DISTRICT now fully established, in no other, than the PM Gaston Browne’s Constituency. Not only are many of these sex workers single parents, they brought children with them, who are becoming the replacement for their parent.
    These businesses help to support the well established DRUG TRADE in the Nation, as well.

    Hillary Clinton wrote a book which highlighted and emphasised, the concept of, IT TAKES A VILLAGE, and won a Pulitzer Prize for it. Her intention was to use reverse psychology to garner the BLACK VOTE, as her solo political career was taking off.
    This concept, of IT TAKES A VILLAGE was the footing upon OUR CULTURE decades ago was built on.
    In the course, of becoming ‘developed,’ more separated and segregated, those who were the HAVE_NOTS lost sight of this very important and significant aspect of Our Culture. As they began to reach the plateau, of the HAVES, not only did they kick the rungs, of the ladder which they were climbing to become a HAVE out, they left many fires behind them and could give a #Wharf_Rat ass, as to whether it gets extinguished or it burn they burn down.the whole City.

    This open door IMMIGRATION POLICY being established with the Peoples Republic of China will not only add more power to the CULTURE SHOCK, it will be like a 9.0 on the ricter scale.

    Get to the ROOT CAUSES OF THE PROBLEMS, because KNEE JERK reactions ain’t gonna solve them.

    Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
    De’ole Dutty🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard

    Vere Cornwall Edwards

  8. First, the government needs to hold themselves accountable for all the illegal GUNS that have gotten into Antigua. When will there be sweeping crackdowns on the gun runners?

    Parents aren’t children’s only influence.

  9. It’s about time and I agree with you all on this one because it have some parents that can’t control their child or children,they can’t even talk to them. You wonder if the parent is actually the child.

  10. Were sterilization and castration also considered? I know, I know what you’re thinking; such measures are outrageous, unconscionable yet think deeply about it. Suppose an example was made of one of these ‘ram goat’ fathers who scatter their seed like wild oats and don’t give half a cent about their offspring perhaps not even recognizing them during their formative years? The shock wave running through the country would be enormous and give would-be ‘ram goat’ fathers pause for thought. The equivalent solution, sterilization would be applied to females who have mothered feral children. It’s only a dream however, the result would give up positive outcomes.

  11. Late by at least 20 years but as they say, better late than never. Now only if we can be fair with it, and don’t let apply to some while others get away by checking their ministers.

  12. Totally agree with accountability regarding parenting, and I also look forward to accountability with our present government.

    Remember, whilst they point a finger 👉🏾 upon us, there are three pointing towards them.

    WORKS BOTH WAYS …

  13. It’s full time that parents take responsibility for the actions of the minors in their care. When we begin to hold parents to account, no doubt they would be more aware of their parenting responsibilities

  14. Wouldn’t solve anything. The whole of modern society is to blame. Instead of finding people to blame, the focus should be on creating a beautiful, harmonious, society catering to the needs of all including the young. In the old days (20 years ago), daytime activities were family-oriented and nighttime was for grownups. Nowadays the only cultural activities day and night are grownup “fetes” or for children – copycat American activities like Santa and Easter Egg hunts that kids here don’t really care about. Carnival used to be family-friendly. Now it is R-rated. Movies rated for children had child-friendly content. Now Hollywood, Netflix etc. are pushing adult topics such as alternative lifestyles. Good content such as sports used to be free. Now there are paywalls everywhere. So, boys can’t watch anything good. Lots of video games have some violence these days. Lots of people graduate with computer science degrees, but none of them bother to develop world class games that children like. These days, housing developments in this country are not family-friendly. No one cares if children have spaces to play safely outdoors when they sell or rent out houses and apartments in this country. Society does not bother to cater to the needs of average children, but still expects them to turn out well. Since parents are to blame, I guess only the super rich are allowed to have children these days because only they can afford to provide the perfect environment for children.

    • So, what policies and programmes are they putting in place to create a good environment for children? Are they offering grants to persons wanting to start wholesome family-friendly entertainment ventures e.g. bowling alleys, skating rinks, non-violent arcades, family karaoke restaurants? family-friendly nature hikes? kids steel pan bands? child-friendly singer-songwriter albums, Caribbean family YouTube channels or other Apps, child-friendly locally relevant video games? affordable after-school art classes? music classes? children’s sports leagues? etc. etc. etc. Whether or not we have children, let’s focus on finding solutions together as a society. Creating division between parents and the wider society is not the answer.

      • Also, what about programmes that encourage teenagers to be of service to the community? All schools should be engaged in regular community-service activities. If young people are in the habit of helping their communities and being appreciated for that, perhaps they will think twice about hurting the community.

  15. This is a foolish suggestion which does not at all tackle the root. We need intervention and assistance.

    If I come NOW and tell authorities I cannot manage my child, dem nar listen, I am exhausted and unwell, I have to work to provide, will they take the child or provide any assistance?

    If I thump up the child, dem go bex. If me na thump he up and he go thump up someone, I must be held CRIMINALLY responsible. So two ah we in the family have record now? How does this help anyone?

    This is treating and poorly, the symptom, nothing to do with the cause. Where are truancy officer? Where are counsellors? Where are youth programmes? Where do parents turn to for HELP?
    How can you criminalise an upstanding parent making ends meet, with a child who nar listen and nar tap home??

  16. How many White, Arab or Asian children doing these awful deeds. At the same time how many of the already mentioned races above go about breeding black girls without taking responsibility for the children and their welfare. Start at the root of the problem which is also rampant in Merica and stop believing that breeding off multiple black girls is a sign of your masculinity. It is a sign of your duncess and the failure of black people.

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