Calling The Cops On Your KidFollow

Taken from elsewhere so I can't provide more details...

Father finds a large plastic bag containing many smaller bags of pot in his home. He confronts his 16 year old son about it in the kitchen and tells him to go to his bedroom while the father tries to figure out what to do. Instead, the son pushes the father backwards over a chair, grabs the bag and runs out of the house. Father calls the police and tells them where the son will be. The mother left the house saying that the father turned against the family and shouldn't have involved the police. As far as I know, this was the first spat of trouble.

Would you have called the cops?

I don't have kids, but it's hard to say. If the kid had gone to his room, probably not. Given what happened, I might have waited, as the kid just panicked, give him a chance to calm down before the cops get involved. On the other hand this is definitely not finding some pot that your kid is smoking, and there needs to be serious consequences. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Also I would not believe this is the first straw.

Edited, Jul 7th 2010 2:18pm by Xsarus

I wouldn't have confronted the child about pot; I'm pro-legalization.

Change that to any other drug, however, and I probably would have reacted the same way as the father did.

Edited, Jul 7th 2010 3:25pm by catwho

WTF?

Who is he dealing with? How violent are they? How much money is at stake?

If he were growing it himself I could see your point; but saying you'd ignore your child's involvement as a middleman with drug dealers is pretty silly.

Depends on the law, personally.

This. Personal consumption is one thing, but the first thing I thought when hearing that this kid took it and ran was that he was scared he'd loose it all and owe someone money.

Edited, Jul 7th 2010 2:44pm by Wint

In the same exact situation? I'd call the cops in a heartbeat. As Elinda said:


There's a point where one has to realize that they've failed, or at least are very close to the brink of failure, as a parent and it's time to call in some help. The point where your 16 year old kid knocks your *** down, grabs the pot you were confronting him with and bolts from the house is one time where that's the case.


I intend to teach my kids that when you feel a law is unjust, it's time to work towards getting it changed, not just break it when you feel like it. Unless, of course, it's at an extreme where following said law is truly reprehensible beyond the point of reason.

Edited, Jul 7th 2010 1:50pm by Poldaran

Call the cops? No.

Ask him to front me a half? Yes.

Well, the father apparently gave the kid a reason to be scared. I'd hope in that situation my children wouldn't be so scared of what I was going to do to them that they would assault me and run away. I'd probably give the little ******** a day to come back before I called the cops, though. Otherwise I'd just get worried. If he came back and was more rational, we would proceed. If he wants to be a hardass I'll smoke all his **** up before he knows what's happened.

Also, like Samira said, unless he's growing (which they would have noticed, I'd assume), at 16 he needs a real job if he wants an income. Honestly, thinking about it more though, I'd be inclined to at least find out more about where he's getting it from, etc, and how dangerous the situation is. Also, depends on the laws, because in each state they're different, and with a minor it's another story.

High school kids are gonna buy/sell pot, though, it's a fact of life. I wish I got stoned before I was out of high school, high school was a draaaaag, man.

If it was a small bag of pot on it's own, probably not. But 2 thibngs ring alarm bells to me and I woudl have done the same as the father:
1. It was a large bag filled with smaller bags. That points to dealing, not just smoking.
2. When the father told him to go to his room while he thought about it the kid got violent and ran off.

Those two things, especially when put together, shows a scene of a kid who has the potential and capability for violence and the callous attitude of breaking the law to suit his financial needs. it's not a healthy combo for anyone let alone a kid. I'd feel it's my parental duty to do what I can to make him stop short and realize these decisions not only will negatively affect his future, but it can also harm others through his choices. If I hadnt been able to do that prior to seeing this on my own kids, I'd seek help in getting that lesson rammed down his throat by calling the police.

1 of two things would then happen. It would be a major wake up call and my child would hopefully learn a very valuable lesson and straighten up. Or he will hate me forever and continue down that road (but not under my roof). But at least if that happens I could look myself in the mirror and know I at least did what I could to teach him.

This. It would be nice to have your own source at home!

Ah, I didn't tie in the "smaller bags in a larger bag" to actually being a dealer. Probably because I don't do drugs myself and have no dealings with that segment of society.

Meh, whatever. This is why I'm not reproducing; I'm an unfit mother and I haven't even had the kids yet.

A fair and valid point. But what about the interim? Should you simply allow yourself to be constrained by the law simply for the sake of the law?



I rather suspect the same, which, knowing what butt heads teenagers are, is obviously only going to escalate the situation. Too often people forget what its like to be young.

Well here's to hoping things will work out for these people...