BLOG: Marin Parents - Responsibility Starts with You

Marin parents – responsibility starts with you
by Maureen De Nieva, SR ACT Coordinator

Teens robbed at gun point leaving a party in Marin? Yes, in a neighborhood in Ross (Marin Independent Journal, August 11: “Ross police seek youths in robber case after teen party”). Fortunately, no one was hurt but where were the parents of the teen party host?

In early August, according to the Ross Police Department, an unsupervised teen house party got out of hand when the host discovered a cell phone was missing. The host requested everyone to empty their pockets in search for the phone, but one young person refused. This same youth left with three others around 1 a.m. as the party winded down.

According to Ross Police Chief Erik Masterson, minutes after the party was ending, four young people—one with a gun, held up two youths who just left the same party. Two wallets and about $200 were taken while the parents of the party-hosting teen were out of town.

This incident will have major consequences for everyone involved and their lives will be forever changed as a result. Nobody wants this to happen to their child or in their home. However, questions must be asked: “Where were the parents of the teen who hosted the party? Did they know a party was going to be hosted while they were out of town? Would the result be different if alcohol or drugs were at the party too?”

As parents and community members, we have the power to change the conversation with our young people about communicating our expectations & consequences about parties, underage drinking, and safety in social situations. Although alcohol was not present in this case, communicating what could happen when our teens host a party or attend a house party, especially if alcohol could be present, is important to discuss.

As parents, we can support our children and each other by being vigilant about who our kids spend time with, where they are going and when they come home. As homeowners, we can pledge never to host a party for teens with alcohol or drugs and, if we are out of town, we can take steps to ensure that no one accesses our home without our permission.

As a community, we can take action by reporting parties anonymously to the local police department.

Policies such as the Social Host Ordinance are just some of the ways that smart communities are coming up with solutions to these complex problems. The ordinance protects all of us in Marin by establishing that the homeowner and the child hosting the party are ultimately responsible for the activity in their home and can be fined accordingly.

Responsibility starts with you. Each of us has a role in preventing underage substance use and abuse, and parties ending on negative note.

We encourage you to connect with the following groups who are committed to creating a healthier Marin for young people to reach their full potential without drugs or alcohol: Twin Cities Coalition for Healthy Youth, the Novato Blue Ribbon Coalition for Youth and the San Rafael Alcohol and Drug Coalition, Healthy Novato Project, the San Rafael Alcohol Compliance Team and Youth Leadership Institute.

You can learn more about what we are doing and how you can get involved by contacting Kristen Law at the Marin County Prevention Hub (www.marinhhs.org/prevention-hub).