Imaginif

Look out parents in Western Australia. If your kids run wild you run the chance of getting wild over a $200.00 fine.

Parents fined $200 if kids run wild By Amanda O’Brien

In an Australian first, courts in Western Australia will soon be able to order chronically negligent parents to attend parenting classes or face a $200 fine, in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour by children.

Despite anger over gangs of children creating havoc in some suburbs, the controversial legislation took almost three years to get through parliament due to Opposition concerns about its punitive approach to parenting.

But it was finally ticked off this week after the Government agreed to slash the intended fine from $2000 to $200, and withdrew plans to allow household goods to be seized from families if they refused to pay.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Robyn McSweeney said the $2000 fine was crazy and the thought of seizing goods from disadvantaged families was ridiculous.

“In many cases, the only non-essential goods they have are TVs, radios and the kids’ skateboards,” she said.

“If you take away their only entertainment, there’s even more pressure to go out and be involved in mischief.”

Despite initially opposing any fine, Ms McSweeney said the $200 penalty could help motivate more parents to act responsibly, but not devastate their families if they refused. Parents would now face community work orders if they did not pay.

Child Protection Minister Sue Ellery said the landmark legislation would compel parents to accept help when their children repeatedly caused trouble such as using threatening behaviour or spraying graffiti.

Concerned with the current declining state of parenting and child behaviour, I accept that drastic measures need to be taken. Is parent blame the best approach though? I am interested in your thoughts.

Given that one in three Australian women have stated they were sexually assaulted as children, that is a lot of traumatised modern day parents. Trauma in early childhood results in dissociation. Undealt with trauma and ongoing trauma may well result in children continually surviving in a hyper aroused state and staying in a dissociative mood of escape. An dissociative adult may well find it difficult to effectively parent.

Blaming parents and fining them, may well make trauma and child rearing responsibility worse. I envisage many dysfunctional parents resorting to physical abuse to punish their child because parent got into trouble. Despite my cyniscism, I do recognise that I fail to present a more affective alternative. I also recognise that something has to be done to make parents more responsible and adult. Is forcing bad parents to go to parenting classes too late though? Surely we need parenting classes prior to babies being born?

Child protection is a community responsibility. If you know of a young family struggling to raise their children in a protective way, please help them. Early interventions support that positive and protective change is possible.

What do you think about parents being fined for having out of control children?