As a parent, you are shocked to get a call from the police saying that your child has been arrested. This is not something you ever thought you would have to deal with, as you feel you have raised your child well and they always seemed respectful of authority and rules. They have never had any issues before.
One thing to consider is if peer pressure played a role. Do not forget how important it is for teenagers to feel like they fit in with their social groups. This can sometimes lead them to go along with whatever the group is doing or engage in activities they never would have participated in otherwise. They may be looking to increase their standing in the group, prevent themselves from being shunned or marginalized, or just go along with the status quo.
Why would this lead to criminal activity?
There are many ways that this can lead to criminal activity, starting with something like underage drinking. Your child may never have consumed alcohol before, at least as far as you know, because they were not interested in drinking in their own right. It was not something that they were doing at home.
But if they are out with friends and everyone else is drinking, then they suddenly feel a lot of pressure to fit in.
In other cases, peer pressure could come in the form of dares. Maybe a child is dared to shoplift, for example. They have no need to steal anything, but they begin shoplifting just to prove themselves to other members of the group. As a parent, you have never seen them show any indication that they want to shoplift on their own, because the activity itself is not what is important to them—it is the social atmosphere that they are a part of.
Criminal charges at a young age can lead to serious ramifications in a young person’s life, so parents must know what legal defense options they have.