should parents be held accountable for the crimes of their children?

I believe parents should be responcible to an extent
ie they shuld be responciple under civil law. if little jonney breaxs a window, his parents should be responcible for repairing it. however if little jonney knifes someone i dont believe thet his mammy should go to thr joy for it. this would create a suition where the little gurrier is not being thought that there are conseqeences for his actions that hurt him(assuming that hes not to pushed what happnes to his mam which is possible). it would damage the family unit placing a certin level of power in a misbehaving childs hands who could lash out at there parents by getting them landed up in court. i also just dont like the notion that I could go to gaol for someone elses crimes. Gulty by association and all that. Its a very 'slippery sloap':D

Mr Darragh F wrote: »

If so or if not why?
I am writing a speech for a debate and am looking for some ideas =] thanks

I'd argue against.
If parents were held responsible for the crimes of their child consider a child who abuses their parents or indeed murders a parent, you would have parents being tried for being the victims of crime as well as the perpetrators at the same time, would they cross examine themselves in court? or perhaps make a victim impact statement against themselves?.
Also prosecuting parents for their child's crime would teach a child nothing about personal responsibility and possibly encourage them to reoffend. It also opens up a possible avenue to a child to blackmail parents this in itself is a crime, would that then see parents prosecuted for blackmailing themselves? making them reluctant to access social and medical services which could prevent or stop such behavior.