Mary Ann Perga

In the following viewpoint, Mary Ann Perga argues that parental responsibility legislation—laws that hold parents responsible for the crimes of their children—is unlikely to change the behavior of delinquent teens. Many parents will resent the state’s interference in their family’s daily life, she contends. Furthermore, she asserts that requiring closer supervision of children does not necessarily mean that the children are receiving good parenting and loving attention. The best way to ensure that children grow into responsible adults is to provide volunteer mentors to young children who are at risk of growing up delinquent, she maintains. Perga is a lawyer and columnist for the Superior Catholic Herald.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. When would parental responsibility laws benefit society, in Perga&rsquo...