Who do we blame first — the child or the parent?
• When violent incidents happen, where should the accountability begin?
• Do we automatically look at the parents, or do children bear some responsibility too?
2. At what point should parents be charged for their children’s actions?
• What line has to be crossed for legal or financial consequences?
• Is it only when parents purposely ignore the warning signs?
• Or when they actively encourage or model negative behaviors?
3. Is it unfair to punish single parents who are working and doing their best?
• What about the parents who don’t have support — no childcare, no partner, no community help?
• Are fines or charges fair in those situations, or do they push struggling families deeper into poverty?
4. Should consequences differ based on the parent’s level of involvement or awareness?
• How do we distinguish between:
• A parent who genuinely didn’t know
• A parent who can’t control the environment
• A parent who is active in the child’s negative behavior
5. Should parents face fines? Jail time? Mandatory services?
• What forms of accountability actually work?
• Are financial penalties effective?
• Should violent or repeated behavior trigger jail time for parents?
6. Should mandatory counseling, therapy, or parenting classes be required?
• Instead of punishment, would support services make a bigger impact?
• Could early intervention programs prevent these incidents altogether?
7. When children commit violent or heinous acts, where is the root cause?
• Is it the home environment?
• The neighborhood?
• Lack of guidance?
• Poverty?
• Trauma and mental health?
8. In cities like Philadelphia and Chicago, why is parent accountability so rare?
• Why don’t we see consequences on the parental level?
• And when children are held accountable, why is it often either too lenient… or far too harsh?
9. Could early involvement with parents prevent these tragedies?
• What would change if the system stepped in earlier with guidance instead of just punishment?
10. What’s the real solution: punishment… or support?
• Where should the balance be between responsibility and compassion?
• Is punishing parents enough, or do we need real community-based intervention?
