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Article: Responsible adults? (Parental responsibility for the acts of children).
- Article from:
- LawNow
- Article date:
- April 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Legal Resource Centre of Alberta Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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We've all heard the expression responsible adults. It means that we, as a society, expect those people to behave in a certain way. If their behaviour doesn't measure up, then society can hold them accountable for the damage they cause, whether their acts are intentional or negligent. So we're really talking about persons who are over eighteen and who are mentally competent to decide for themselves. What about children?
We do not hold minors to the same level of accountability as adults. While there is no cut off age, children under the age of four or five are generally not considered responsible for any of their actions, whether intentional or unintentional. ...