Pete Saunders

When should parents be held accountable for the actions of their children? According to the government of Bermuda, the time is now. On 9 July 2010, the government voted the Parental Responsibility Act, which is intended to ensure that parents uphold their responsibilities toward their minor children and that minors are equally held to account when they do not adhere to acceptable standards of social conduct. This act is a big deal for Bermudians who have seen a sixfold increase in juvenile probations between 2005 and 2008. Almost a fifth of these juveniles in the courts are repeat offenders. During that same period about 270 children under the age of 18 were part of the government-operated Child and Family Services with 35% of them classified as “out of parental control”. I suppose the concern is how did the country get to this point. Here is my idea.

During my undergrad college years, I spent a lot of time with a family of six which was made up of mother, father, two boys and two girls. I admired how the mother/wife fulfilled both her roles. She would ensure that dinner was always ready when everyone got home; the house was always clean; and clothes were washed, sorted and ironed all this while maintaining a traditional 9-5 job. Being around this family gave me a vision of how I would like my family to operate. As you may very well imagine, I was in for a rude awakening.