Breaking the Rules

1. Breaking the Rules - What teenagers think of law and order – - Presented by Bjarki Þór and Dagný Hulda

2. The job at hand • Parent – teenager relationships. • Teenagers and the law. • Where do the boundaries lie? • “The punishment should fit the crime” • The differences in culture.

3. Parental Guidance • Is it fair for parents to set rules for their teenage children? • It is fair for parents to set rules for kids, but it’s not fair that parents have total control over them. • Curfew is set by the parents for teenagers’ own good, so they won’t stay out all night. Clean their rooms regulary, so when they move out, they know how. But they musn’t set rules for everything. • KIDS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN STYLE AND STUFF LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!! (Ice.)

4. Parental Guidance • Children need rules, otherwise they would do things which they shouldn’t do. But also it’s important that teenagers can make their own experiences, to become independent from their parents. (Ger.) • Our parents are right to give us rules because without rules there would be total chaos. Without rules we couldn’t prove to our parents that they can trust us.

5. Parental Guidance • It’s OK for parents to set rules as long as they are reasonable and concern school, security, etc. (Aus.) • Examples of rules: • Curfew, within reason • Notifying of whereabouts • Rules about household chores • Common behavioural rules about respect for your elders, cursing, etc.

6. Rulebreaking made OK • Situations when it is OK to break house rules. • It´s not possible to live without house rules. But there are families that don´t have rules for their children, but that’s not good for kids, they need rules, they cannot live without rules. (Hol.) • In a situation of perfect safety, it would be OK to break house rules but it´s never going to happen. (Fra.)

7. Rulebreaking made OK • If it’s done in an emergency, it’s OK to break the rules. • If the parents don’t find out it’s OK to break a house rule! • If you’re physically unable (sick) to follow the rule, then it’s OK (taking out the trash f. ex.). • If the rule is unfair...

8. Free from custodianship • The right age to break free from their parents is 18 because then they have collected enough experience to live alone without their parents. (Ger.) • Some children can live from their 16th birthday without rules, but not every child can live alone so early and without parents. (Hol.) • In Turkey, it doesn´t matter if you’re 18, you can’t leave their homes unless they have their parents’ approval or have gotten married.

9. Free from custodianship • At the age of 18 you are mature enough to take care of yourself. • The question is not necessarily one of age. It can depend on the individual, some mature earlier than others. • Young people should become more independent between the ages of 14-16. • Consensus: 18 years

10. Boundaries of the law • It´s stupid that you can get married at 18 years old, but you can´t drink wine at your wedding. (Ice.) • The laws are fair but at the same time not fair because it all depends on the responsibility of the child, but the government can’t judge every individual so the rules are neccessary. • It’s fair to protect children from bad things such as alcohol, cigarettes, drugs & bad relationships. (Fra.)

11. Boundaries of the law • In the UK and the US you can, in some states, get a driver’s licence at 16; that’s not fair when we can’t drive until 18. • In Iceland the driving age is 17; stupid to have the age for drinking at 20. • Many shops don’t uphold the laws regarding drinking age; if teenagers are supposed to respect the law, grownups should do it also.

12. Boundaries of the law • “Jugendschutzgesetz” – a special Austrian law regarding teenagers. • Covers for example curfew, smoking, drinking, drugs, going abroad, etc. • Consequences for breaking laws are clearly defined. • Punishment serves to show what the activity can lead to if continued.

13. Boundaries of the law • It is unfair to charge kids, 15 years and younger, as adults. They are not old enough, or mature enough, to take resposibility for their action. • Drinking beer and smoking in Germany is allowed at 16 – is that a good situation? • Consensus: Laws are made for the benefit of teenagers, but need to be reasonable and carried out by all.

14. Crime and Punishment • The punishments in Iceland is way too mild, for example; if you rape someone the maximum punishment is two years in jail, but often it’s less. If you rape someone in the United States you will be sentenced to life in prison. • I you murder someone you should be locked behind bars for life.

15. Crime and Punishment • The punishment in Holland is not good enough and does not fit the crime. • For example, the punishment for a rape is too low. The punishment should be a lifelong sentence in jail because it´s a terrible crime. • If you murder someone you should get harder punishment but not the death-penalty. Killing the murderer won’t bring the victim back.

16. Crime and Punishment • Is the death penalty an option? • Not everyone agrees. • Killing someone should result in death. • An eye for an eye will leave us all blind! • The offender gets off easy! • Punishment should be adapted to the crime but circumstances should be taken into account. • Consensus: Not full, but punishment in most cases seems too mild.

17. Differences in culture • Turkey is the one country that really stands out. • In western countries the rules and attitudes seem quite similar. • The culture in each country is obviously a factor, hence the difference.