You should read this post even if your child has never made less than an A, is the president of his church youth group and is on the verge of selling more cookies than any other girl scout or is about to become an eagle scout.
Schools uniformly have zero-tolerance policies, and police officers seem to exercise discretion more poorly than ever before. So, even great kids find themselves under investigation for things, and it is important that your children be armed with some information about their rights and about the possible consequences to "romantic" teenage behavior.
1. There is almost never a duty to talk, but an assortment of bad things can happen when you do.
Just about every Georgia school district has a staff of school resource officers. These guys are agents of law enforcement, and there are various constitutional restrictions on what they can do. Generally they cannot search your child, his locker, or his car without probable cause and cannot hold your child in custody and questioning him without advising him of his rights. School personnel are a different matter. They operate as parents while they have your child at school. They can search pretty easily. They can hold your child and question him without informing you first. School resource officers know to back away and let the school staff do the investigation because they can get away with more.
Bottom line. Talk to your child about what to do if she is questioned about a criminal or serious disciplinary matter. Teach him to say "I can't talk until I speak with my mom or dad." When in doubt, say that and hold firm to "i'm not going to talk to you unless mom and dad are here." If you get a call after your child does this, then get a lawyer and do not let anyone speak to a child until you speak with a lawyer.
More damage is done to potential cases of young people because of school interrogation than anything else.
2. Do not Supervise Young Children (Particularly of the Opposite Sex) Without an Adult Present at All Times
If you have a teenage boy, I would suggest that babysitting is not the job for him. If your teenager is a leader in a youth group where he or she is supervising much younger (4 or more years of age difference) children, then the teen should assume that role only as an assistant to an adult who will be present the entire time.
The reasons should be obvious.
3. Do Not Consent to Anything
Tell your child not to consent to a search ever. Even if your child is completely certain that there is nothing to be found. If they are asking for consent it means that they probably couldn't do what they are asking to do without consent. If you're innocent, you have nothing to prove. If you're guilty, don't think that the police will think you are innocent because you consented. That bluff always gets called. It will get called here, too.
Even if you think they are going to search anyway, don't consent. What they find may not be admissible, and if it would be admissible anyway, then your consent or lack of consent will be irrelevant, so don't consent.
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