Do Children Have An Absolute Right To Privacy?

[KittyWampus]

I am using the word 'Right'.

IMO, privacy is a 'Privilege' for youngsters and parents have every right to rescind that privilege when their child breaks the rules.

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Why not?

Why wouldn't they have the right to privacy? Sure, you can look for signs of things but if I have, say, a twelve year old daughter and she had a diary or journal I wouldn't go reading it or notes she had from friends. I once caught my mother reading a note I wrote to a friend and I was pissed as hell.

[KittyWampus]

3. Why? Because Perhaps They Did SomethingAgainst The Parents Rules

in which case, does child still have an absolute RIGHT to expect privacy in every aspect of their life.

[Richard Steele]

2. No.

Parents have a DUTY to protect their children which overrules the child's PRIVILEDGE of privacy.

[rzemanfl]

4. No! At least not until they are toilet-trained. n/t

[The Magistrate]

5. They Do, Ma'am

To the practical limits of the parent's ability to pry, and their own ability to conceal....

[sonicx]

6. Not till they're 18

[TahitiNut]

7. Yes. And a parent is the GUARDIAN of their rights.

Just as a doctor has intimate access to the person without there being any violation of that person's rights, so does a parent or guardian. When that parent or guardian abuses their authority and displays the child nude, publishes the child's medical records, or otherwise acts in a manner that violates their duty to the child as a person with inalienable rights, that parent can be prosecuted and their guardianship (a trust, not a right) revoked.

A parent has similar duties as someone with a Power of Attorney - duties to act strictly in the interests of the person. A violation of such duties - a violation of trust - is among the worst of crimes, imho.

[Az]

8. No

Children are in the business of learning the ins and outs of society. As this implies they do not have a full understanding of society and cannot make properly informed descisions.

As a result of this their parents and society are responsible for their upbringing as well as safety. Because they can only make uninformed descisions they do not recieve the same rights as adults do.

Their right to privacy as it exists extends only to their parents. If a parent wishes to invade their privacy it is their right to do so. The state requires their parents permission or a court order if their safety is in question.

[SW FL Dem]

9. NO

A parent has a responsibility to intervene and interfere to keep their kids safe. The lengths to which parents should go depends on the severity of the risk. My kid is pretty trustworthy so I allow him to surf the net without restriction, but the computer is in the family room. I don't search his room or backpack, but if I thought he was doing something dangerous, I would, and I would tell him I did it and why.

[jaysunb]

10. NO !

End of story !!

[seemunkee]

11. As long as there was no impact on their health and safety

My daughter was suffering from depression and we were concerned about her safety. I read her online diary a few times just to check on her state of mind.

[Pepperbelly]

12. It depends on what you want from them and how you expect them to be.

I never violated my kids' privacy after they got a bit of age of them. As teenagers, I didn't read dairies or look through their stuff in their rooms or eavesdropped on them. I expected them to treat me with respect and to be truthful with me. I think they were. I knew when they experimented with pot. I knew when they drank. In fact, I insisted that they drink in my home. They did that three or four times and then didn't anymore. Now they barely drink and one of them is in the Navy and that is an accomplishment.

None of them liked pot. Which was odd because I, of course, do.

But that is neither here nor there.

I wanted my kids to grow up EXPECTING their rights to be obsxerved. My son John, the one that's in the Navy now, bowed up at school and refused to allow the school security to search his backpack. His position was that he had done nothing to give them any reason to search his backpack and he would therefore not grant them permission nor give his backpack over to them to be searched. I was posting in DU at the time and some of you may remember the threads on the subject. He was suspended from school for 3 days. We contacted the ACLU who agreed with John and one of their associates ... a private attorney in Little Rock. He and the school board corresponded and they agreed to change their policy re: searches. They actually didn't because they tried the same stuff 6 months later and that time, they didn't suspend him when he bowed up.

I not only agreed with him. I am very pleased with him.

So it depends upon what you want.

[xultar]

13. NO. I need to know what they are doing when and with whom.

I need to be able to rummage their room and listen in on some calls.
Especially if it is some new kid or person I've never heard of.

Why, too many predators around. Unfortunately my kids will have to pay the price in privacy for their safety.

And I want the other parents watching out for them too. If they see them getting into cars with people they don't know or doing things they shouldn't I'd hope they call me so I can get to the bottom of the situation.

It takes a village people.

[wuushew]

14. girls/women have absolute right to abortion

any law that interfers with this concept will just cause more pain and suffering in red states.

Lets not dance around the issue, abortion is the crux of this thread.

[Pithlet]

16. Aha

Thank you for pointing that out. It colors my answer a little bit. I thought this was just about reading diaries/listening in on phonecalls/knowing where they are at all times.

[philosophie_en_rose]

15. Yes, but not absolute.

In this country, I have the right to own a firearm. However, the government has the obligation and authority to rescind my right under certain circumstances. (For instance, if I commit a felony).

A child deserves respect and room to grow. Obsessive parents that smother children foster secrecy and distrust. I have one parent that is very invasive and another that is more trusting. I always confided in the parent that gave me space.

This is not an absolute situation in which parents either invade privacy or kids run wild/ get killed/ join gangs. It's about appropriate boundaries. Children should understand that people deserve privacy and space. (For instance, little Billy should not run into bathrooms without knocking).

There is a boundary to privacy. Taking the analogy further, if I believed that someone was injured, I would enter a bathroom. If I had reason to believe that a teenager was doing something dangerous, I would confront them.

Invading privacy is a false sense of security. It is far better to communicate with children, so that they understand what you need.

[Fescue4u]

17. Absolutely not.

That said, I do respect my kids privacy and allow them to have it.

However when push comes to shove, if its a matter of keeping my kids safe I will violate their privacy to achieve it.

[bemildred]

18. Hey, this is America, ADULTS don't have a right to privacy. nt

[elehhhhna]

19. Only straight children have a right to privacy.

sarc/off

[applegrove]

20. No. Children have things called "parents". The parents have res-

ponsibility to monitor the kids until they are adults. Remember Columbine?

[sandnsea]

21. No

Because they aren't absolutely responsibile for the consequences of their behavior. Their parents are. When they're 100% responsible for consequences, then they have 100% right to privacy.

[Xithras]

22. No

Parents have a right to know what goes on in their own house, and they have an obligation to know what's going on in the lives of those who they are legally and ethically responsible for. Any decent parent should extend reasonable privacy rights to their children commensurate with their maturity and level of personal responsibility, but that privacy is extended at the parents discretion.

As to the poster who mentioned abortion: I don't see that as an exception. If my daughter has a medical procedure performed, especially one with potentially life altering or ending consequences, I want to know about it. As it happens, I'd support my daughter if she wanted to terminate a pregnancy...but god help anyone that tries to hide that fact from me.

[KittyWampus]

23. I'd Be Worried A Sexually Active Child Might Continue Dangerous Behavior

if parent doesn't realize what's going on.

and a child having sex is dangerous behavior... even IF they are smart enough to use a condom.