The Law On Teenagers

The Law On Teenagers

• In Australia parents and guardians are usually legally responsible for the care of their children until the age of 18, but different people and cultures expect certain responsibilities at different ages.
• Teenagers and children under 18 who leave home are still the responsibility of their parents or guardians.
• There is no written law prohibiting a young person leaving home without parental consent.
• Usually a teenager's parent/guardian has legal guardianship, custody and control until they are 18 years of age.
• If a young person under 16 years of age, leaves home, the situation is considered more serious than a young person between 16 and 18 years of age. This is partly because it is usually more difficult for a young person under 16 to support themselves emotionally and financially.
• If a teenager, under 16 years, leaves home without their parent's consent and the parents feel their child may be in physical or moral danger they can go to Family and Children's Services for assistance. Each case is different, so a variety of methods, including mediation, counselling or family therapy, may be used to help seek a reconciliation within the family.
• If the parents don't know where their teenager is living, they may also contact their local police station and report the young person as a 'missing person', in which case the police will try and locate the young person.

Parenting tips & parenting articles copyright & courtesy
Department for Community Devlp, Australia.

The Law On Teenagers :: The Police On Teenagers :: Teenagers School And Employment
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