A KNOCK ON THE DOOR
IT’S THE POLICE
It’s a phone call from the police station. The police informs you that your child has been arrested. It is frightening for any parent to receive such news. And it can happen to children who behave well at home and in school. This article seeks to inform parents the best way to deal with such a scenario.
Understand the facts
Whether the child is remorseful or not, nobody wants to have a police report against them. Sometimes teens may want to try out cheap thrills without realizing the consequences. It may be that the teen made a mistake, a bad judgement call which he truly regrets. As family, blowing things out of proportions won’t help.
Manage the situation
Manage your emotions before speaking to your child. Settle the matter with the police first before counseling your child. Occasionally, receiving a call from the police station may not mean your child is definitely guilty.
A father received news that his son was in a KTV and brought to the police station. He shares his incident.
“I received a call from the police station saying that they rounded up youths who were suspected of taking drugs. One of his friends was caught taking drugs but my son did not. I was saddened that he mixed with such company, but sometimes teens may be brought in for questioning even though they are innocent. By mixing with bad company, they themselves can be implicated in the proceedings.”
Make sure your child is aware
Make your child understand what is legally permitted and what is not in this law-abiding society. Make sure he knows the consequences and legal repercussions. Having your child understand the consequences first before anything else can help stop them from breaching the law.
Counseling
If your child is doing something unlawful and refuses to confide in you, perhaps he prefers to talk to a third party. Get professional help from a counselor. The child may feel that the counselor, as an outsider, is less judgemental and that may make the child more willing to open up.
Mistakes happen. Young people, maybe more than adults, make mistakes as they grow up. It is best for parents to learn to move on and not label their children should they do something silly. One day, they will appreciate how you treated them when they did something wrong.