- School administrators defer even minor disciplinary problems to the school resource officers; and
- School resource officers defer these minor disciplinary problems to the overburdened juvenile court system, where overworked prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges must deal with them.
- The police must, by law, administer special age specific Miranda warnings to juveniles that advise your child of the right to have both an attorney and parent present during questioning.
- Your child has the absolute right to have a parent present during questioning. Take advantage of that right.
- Teach your child to remain silent in situations where an officer has given any kind of Miranda warnings.
- Never delegate your right to be present at your child’s questioning to a third party, such as an administrator or teacher.
- Your child has the right to have an attorney present. If your child is questioned, never waive your child’s right to counsel, even if the police ask you to do so.
- Never question your own child in front of a police officer. Anything your child says to you in the presence of an officer can and will be used against them. There will be time enough to do your own questioning when you get home. (We’ve seen many cases where the parent’s questioning has elicited a damning confession from the juvenile).