Have you ever gotten in trouble for something you didn't do? Well, today I will discuss whether parents should be punished for their children's crimes and what they should do. I argue that parents should not be punished because their parents had nothing to do with their children's crime unless they encouraged them to commit it. It doesn't matter how much parents can control their children because they may never know what they might be doing outside the home, online or anywhere. I'm here to talk about this issue because parents are often the ones to blame when their child committed a crime and was caught. Two Florida students have been accused of tormenting 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick so brutally on social media and in person that she jumped to her death from a tower in 2013. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Officials soon announced that they will hold the parents of the two students criminally responsible for their children's cyberbullying. This is a controversial topic since many people, including myself, truly believe that parents should not be punished for their children's crimes, and here is why... My first main reason is that the parent or parents were not involved in the crime and they had nothing to do with it. When a child who has been taught appropriate behavior chooses to commit a crime, he or she should be held accountable. The only exceptions occur when a parent was aware of the preventable situation but failed to try to stop it, or when a parent was separated or contributed to the crime. Another main reason is that other children are constantly influenced. from the people around them at school. Their classmates have a great impact on them especially because they attend school 6 to 8 hours a day. Kind and caring friends will improve children's overall behavior, although bad company can ruin them. They can become addicted to drugs, alcohol and even become involved in crimes. This shows that no matter how well parents raise their children, they can be surrounded by many negative influences at school or online. Studies show that peer pressure has a negative impact on children too. It is so common that 55% of teenagers tried drugs for the first time because their friends pushed them to do so. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay As you've heard before, children's and adolescents' brains are still developing. From the article “Teen Brain: Behavior, Problem Solving, and Decision Making,” the author states that during the brain development stage, adolescents are more likely to act on impulse, have accidents, and engage in risky behaviors. While this is actually true, children still have a brain and mind of their own. They know and have learned what is right and what is wrong. I think everyone agrees that children and adolescents are capable of knowing what is good and what is bad for them, and it's not that they didn't know that the crime they committed was unacceptable. In conclusion, if parents were not punished for their children's crimes, they would not have to sacrifice themselves and suffer the consequences or even possible prison time. Today I would like to continue spreading the message of not breaking the law and causing trouble. Especially when most minors are too young to face serious consequences,.