When good wombs bear bad sons

I think having a parental responsibility law is a good idea, especially when the offender is below 18 years old as the parents are suppose to be responsible for their child's actions and behaviour. Researches have also shown that children grow up to be how they've been brought up by their parents, so parents should be held partly responsible when a child commits a crime.

As for the punitive measures, I think the juveniles should serve minimal jail term, followed by community service work and counseling. This way, they would be able to spend time in jail reflecting on their mistakes and be determined to change through the counseling help. Their parents should be given counseling, as well as a fine to educate them and to teach them a lesson so as to serve as a constant reminder to guide their child properly.

I also feel that these punishments can only be implemented after thorough investigations to see if the parents have really mislead the child. As the people whom the child spends the most time with, parents should educate their children, set good examples for them to follow. Unfortunately, even the most well-brought-up child can also be changed due to peer influences. If the child commits a crime solely because of such influences, his parents should not be punished.