It takes all kinds of people to make a world. This thread has certainly pointed that out. Small town police stations are not like the drunk tank in inner cities. I think several of the people on this board are over reacting and taking the opportunity to climb on their personal soap boxes rather than looking at the OP’s story.
Actions have consequences. Some actions have consequences so severe that a parent must be very sure that the child understands the consequences. The OP has detailed a very traditional approach to a child stealing. The actions were taken out of love and concern and that love and concern is no doubt clear to the child.
A visit to the police station was not out of line especially since the child stole from a classmate. Had the behavior continued the child would have been at the police station soon on her own. This kind of lesson by exposing the child to the real world consequences of her actions is the most honest form of parenting. I can’t believe that Free Republic has so many folks ready to second guess a parent and tar the police with the the meme that a visit to the police station is traumatic.
80 threads and nobody has shown the language of mental health.
Nice folks, but you cannot express what you do not have.
That is a few thousand words like shame, habit, awareness, support, rules, resolve, etc. 1000s of words and how they connect.
The only way to achieve that imperfect language is select books and support groups for practice. It takes a decade at current human advancement.
Such as, addressing the police part. Different control structures are eg the family, work, police. Using the police control hierarchy means a breakdown in the others like family. This family is broken, but normal. Thereafter, the police must intervene because the adults avoid books.
The real family issues are access to feelings, rules, resolving conflict, habit, demonstrated expectation, self worth, communication, support, discipline, abuse, neglect, deception and on and on.
The child does not have the problem, the parents do. If parents wish to avoid books & groups, I will see their children in groups, the smart ones, as they get healthy. The rest are gambling with life.
Well said.