Punishment for Children

The punishments for Petty Offences and Serious Offences can include:

• Give the child a firm warning, then let them go home while simultaneously counselling the parents.
• Ordering the child to attend group counselling sessions
• Ordering the child to perform supervised community service
• Ordering the child’s parents or guardians to pay a fine
• Releasing the child on probation. The parents or guardians will have to pay a bond for up to 3 years that makes them responsible for the child’s behaviour. The responsibility can also be handed over to a ‘fit person’ or ‘fit facility,’ which is a person or government organization or NGO that is prepared to accept responsibility for the child.
• Sending the child to a Special Home for up to 3 years.

If the Board thinks that keeping the child in the Special Home would be against their best interests or the best interests of other children in that home, then the child could be sent to a Place of Safety. The Board may also order the child to attend a school or vocational training, or prevent the child from going to a specified place.

The law focuses on making sure children are rehabilitated and the Board or the Children’s Court has to develop and oversee an Individual Care Plan to help this happen. An Individual Care Plan is a development plan addressing issues like health, nutrition, emotional, and educational needs.