Can Children be held Morally Responsible for their Actions?

The adjectives; innocent and cute get detached from the child when his actions don’t support them. But the sad part is that we shift those adjectives from his name to his actions very soon. And this is the reason for the increasing rate of child crimes in India. Neglecting their small actions by stating them innocent are leading and will lead to horrific crimes.

Impact of Parenting on Child’s Action

Many parents overlook their child’s mistakes and try to cover them up in front of others. We see, some moms never admit their child’s fault and try to win the argument by taking a stand for them. And this is how they boost their child’s confidence to another level which makes them feel superior to all. They start adopting a bossy attitude that opens the door to many criminal activities in the long run.

So, here in such cases, a child has never been taught the difference between good and bad. To him, everything that he has been doing seems right because he never realized its consequences. The feeling of sympathy, respect and fear had not been instilled into him by his parents. And people who lack feelings can be proved dangerous for society.

In another case, children are deprived of basic love and care in their families. Conflicts between parents can disturb a child mentally. It creates a feeling of hatred in them. Family ambiance plays an important role in the upbringing of a child. Children at this age are vulnerable enough to adopt a risky behavior out of frustration.  

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80% of these two cases depend on the number of children they are having. If they are raising a single child then case 1 is the best fit for them. Over-loving, overprotecting, and taking his stand every time are some of the basic features of their parenting. While in case 2, there are chances of multiple growing-ups. Over the period of time, love starts fading and conflicts come into play. And there will always be a child whose mind denies accepting such unhealthy ambiance that leads to an arrogant personality.

Root causes of child’s actions

Social factors – Nobody is born a criminal. It is his surroundings that are responsible for his absurd actions. Also, the quality of education plays an equal role in developing an overall personality. Upbringing them in an unhealthy environment can make them mentally unfit and physically weak. 

Family factors- Due to poverty, many parents fail to provide proper education to their children which results in a child’s irresponsible behavior as a citizen.

We expect children to be obedient and possess good virtues and those need to be taught and instilled into them by their parents and teachers. 

Conclusion

Sometimes, they might have personal reasons for their actions but the most common reasons are either faults in their upbringing or lack of education.

As Fredrick Douglass says, ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.’

The children are regarded as the brightest future of our country. Thus, it is very important to shape them in an appropriate structure. We as a society have a moral as well as an ethical responsibility to provide them a healthy environment to grow and live in.