Yes, I will stand by the motion that parents be held responsible for children’s online behaviour because parenting is the first level or stage in a child’s life. When parents fail to give a child proper home training, he or she becomes wayward.
They say, charity begins at home, so good parenting starts when the child is still tender. Children easily copy what adults (close to them, their parents) do because they naturally feel it is the right thing to do. When these kids get to copy the wrong lifestyle, it becomes bad for them.
Well, I will be defending my position on this topic, which says “should parents be held responsible for children’s online behaviour” with ten detailed points below. Read along to see my reasons and why parents should be held responsible for children’s online behaviour.
Read Also: Does The Internet Make Students Smarter Or Lazier? (10 Debate Points)
10 Debate Points For Why Parents Be Held Responsible For Children Online Behaviour
1. Parents Are The First Teachers Of A Child
Parents are the first teachers and role models of every child. From birth, children learn what is right and wrong through their parents’ guidance and discipline.
So, if a child misbehaves online, it means the parents have failed to teach proper online manners.
Secondly, the home is where moral training begins, not the internet. Parents should not leave phones and tablets in the hands of their children without supervision, and later pretend they are innocent when the children misbehave.
If parents know they can be held legally responsible, they will pay more attention to what their children are doing online. This will make children behave better and reduce cyberbullying and online scams among young people.
2. Parents Provide The Internet Devices
To be sincere, most children do not buy their own phones, tablets, or laptops. It is the parents who provide these gadgets for them. Therefore, parents should also take responsibility for how their children use those devices.
If a parent can buy a smartphone for a child, that same parent should be able to monitor what the child does with it. It makes no sense to give a child full access to social media and later say, “I didn’t know what he was doing”.
By making parents legally responsible, they will think twice before giving unrestricted access to the internet. This will help control misuse and promote safer online behaviour.
3. It Teaches Parents To Be More Involved
Many parents in Nigeria are too busy chasing money and neglecting their children. They leave them with housemaids or allow them to spend the whole day online. This is one of the reasons children misbehave on the internet.
When parents know they can face legal punishment for their children’s online actions, they will start paying closer attention. They will want to know what sites their children visit and what content they post or share.
This increased involvement will build stronger relationships between parents and children. It will also guide children to make better decisions online and in real life.
4. It Helps Reduce Cybercrime Among Youths
Nigeria is already struggling with cybercrime, especially among young people. Many of these teenagers learn about internet fraud and other bad acts online, and their parents often claim ignorance.
Holding parents legally responsible will push them to monitor their children’s online activities better. They will not allow them to mingle with bad online influences or join scam groups.
This law can help reduce the number of young people involved in internet crimes, making Nigeria’s online space safer and more respected globally.
5. It Encourages Better Parenting
Some parents are too careless about how they raise their children. They allow them to stay online till midnight, chatting or watching immoral videos. When these children misbehave, the parents say, “He’s just a child.”
If the law holds parents accountable, they will sit up. They will set rules for internet usage, limit screen time, and teach their children the consequences of bad online behaviour.
This will help produce more disciplined and responsible children, which benefits both families and society at large.
6. It Protects Other People Online
When a child bullies, insults, or spreads lies online, it hurts others. Some victims of online bullying even fall into depression or commit suicide. Parents should not be allowed to escape blame for that.
When the law makes parents responsible, they will make sure their children treat others with respect, both offline and online. They will teach them to think before they post.
This will make social media a safer and friendlier place for everyone, especially students who use the internet for schoolwork and learning.
7. It Promotes Digital Discipline
We live in a digital age where children are exposed to all kinds of online content. Without parental guidance, they can easily go astray. Making parents legally responsible will encourage them to teach digital discipline early.
Digital discipline means knowing what to do online and what to avoid. Parents will help children understand that posting harmful things online can destroy reputations and future opportunities.
With this kind of awareness, children will grow into more disciplined, respectful, and responsible internet users.
8. Schools Cannot Do It Alone
Most people believe schools should teach online behaviour, but that’s not enough. Teachers can only do so much during school hours; the rest of the time, children are at home.
Parents are the ones who can truly monitor what their children do with their phones after school. If they know they are legally responsible, they will cooperate more with teachers to ensure children behave properly online.
So, holding parents accountable is a way of sharing responsibility between schools and homes to produce better-behaved children.
9. It Builds a Sense of Accountability
When parents know they will be blamed for their children’s online misconduct, they become more accountable. And when children see their parents taking things seriously, they too will become careful.
Accountability makes everyone responsible for their actions. It prevents careless behaviour because people know there will be consequences.
By holding parents legally responsible, we are not punishing them unfairly; we are teaching both parents and children to be accountable in this digital world.
10. It Prevents Future Crimes
Bad online behaviour today can turn into real-life crimes tomorrow. A child who starts by sending insults online may later get involved in hacking or fraud.
When parents guide and monitor their children properly, they can stop such behaviour early. Making parents legally responsible will force them to act before it’s too late.
Prevention is better than a cure. It’s better for parents to guide their children now than for society to deal with criminals later.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, responsible children grow up to become responsible adults. If every parent takes online behaviour seriously, we will have a more disciplined, respectful, and united society.
Children who are properly guided online will not use the internet for harm but for good to learn, create, and inspire others.
Making parents legally responsible for their children’s online behaviour is not just about punishment; it’s about building a better future for Nigeria.
