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Speak Up! - View Question #172 |
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Question: Are parents allowed to lock children in their bedrooms? If so, what is the max amount of time allowed?
Answer: Parents have the right and the duty of care, custody and control of their children. They may do whatever is reasonable to exercise their right and duty. The question is whether their action is reasonable and it depends upon the facts of each specific circumstance.
Parents certainly cannot lock a child in a bedroom and then go out to a party. That would place the child in an unsafe situation and would constitute child neglect.
It would probably be unreasonable to lock a child in a room without bathroom breaks for too long a time, or where there is no fresh air, or where there are dangerous fumes or other threats to the health and safety of the child. They would also have to be certain that the temperature in the room was reasonable, and perhaps that water was available. It would probably be unreasonable to lock a child in a room without light, at least in the daytime.
One would also have to consider how often this occurred, and for what reasons the child was locked in their room. If this is the only way that a parent can get this particular child to sit down and do homework, and it only occurs every school day for one hour, it might very well be acceptable. There is no specific law in Arizona regarding acceptable conditions. The matter would be up to a court to decide whether the parent's actions were reasonable.
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On 10/29/09
SJ from MI said:
I have two three year old daughters who will not stay in the room at night. They wake up screaming everynight even if they are in bed with me. This is probably going to sound awful but can I lock their door at night to keep them in their room? I don't know what else to do...
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On 10/19/09
Jason from UT said:
My wife have three wonderful children, one of which is deaf with a severe speech delay. He is also extremely stubborn, has sort of blase attitude about rules, and is a very sensitive child. After putting him in bed at night, he would get up and wander. My wife and I wanted to teach him that when we put him to bed, the rule was he had to stay there. Communicating to him this rule was next to impossible. We began to lock him in his room at night if he got up to wander, and it worked! We would unlock the door later after he was asleep. We stopped when he began to stay put at night.
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On 10/17/09
Lauren from CA said:
I think that it is all a matter of circumstance. My daughter has emotioinal issues. I cannot normally discipline her. She doesnt care if I take away her toys, TV, spank her, put her on time out, or sit her in her room. She will just give me a blank stare. She is 5 years old and already doing all of this. She has slammed her bedroom door so many times that it wont even shut anymore. The only way I can put her in time out is to reverse the lock on her door, when it actually closes, and have her in time out for 5 min. I believe that this action is not abuse or neglect. Dont agree? Comment
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On 09/26/09
Amy from MD said:
Why are so many of you assuming that the only reason a parent would lock their child in a room is to party or as punishment? I have a 6 year old daughter with special needs. When I put her to bed, I close the door and have a doorknob cover that she can't open because I CAN'T have her wandering around the house alone when everyone else is sleeping. There are to many dangerous things she could get into. It's a matter of safety, not convenience.
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On 05/29/09
lock u from IL said:
I do not believe children should be locked up in their rooms. It is just wrong!!!!!!!!!!! They are not animals and should not be treated as such. You can place the child in their room but the door should not be locked. Especially if the parent wants to Party with their friends!!!! It is wrong.. If they do it once then how long are they locking them in their room? For all you know they could be leaving them in there all day. for five year olds especially!!!!!!!!! If you believe the child should be locked in their room then let me lock you up and see how you like it. IT IS WRONG!!!!!!
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