Badly behaved children could be placed under the supervision of Child and Family Services under tough new parenting laws tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday.

The Parental Responsibility Act <> aimed at stopping a disturbing trend of crime among children <> could see some youngsters under the care of officers for up to 12 months.It would also:

● introduce British-style anti-social behaviour orders -banning troublemaking juveniles from associating with certain friends or entering certain buildings;

● force parents of nuisance children to attend counselling sessions for up to three months;

● give the Justice Minister power to impose 90-day curfews;

● make parents pay up to $10,000 for wilful damage caused by their children.

Attorney General and Justice Minister Kim Wilson says the law was drafted as many parents are failing to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour.

The act would allow courts to make “child safety orders” on children under ten deemed at risk of becoming involved in crime or anti-social behaviour.

This puts them under the supervision of a responsible officer whose job is to “ensure that he receives the appropriate care, protection and support and is subject to proper control”.

Orders would be made to a child who either:

● commits - or is deemed sure to commit - an act which would be a crime if he was over 18;

● breaks a curfew;

● has engaged in anti-social behaviour.

Usually an order could last up to three months, but in exceptional circumstances this could be extended to 12 months.

Anti-social behaviour orders, known as ASBOs, were introduced in the UK by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair in the late 1990s. They are designed to prevent juveniles causing trouble without criminalising them at an early age.

The new act in Bermuda would mean ASBOs can be placed on any child aged ten or over “who has acted in a manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons who are not members of his household”.

They could prevent the offending child from: living at a specified address; contacting or associating with certain people; entering certain places, events or buildings; travelling overseas.

ASBOs would last for up to two years and, if broken by the child, could trigger a six-month prison sentence.

Parents whose children commit an offence or receive either child safety orders or ASBOs would be given “parenting orders” requiring them to attend weekly counselling or guidance sessions.

This hopes to prevent “any repetition of the kind of behaviour which led to the child safety order or anti-social behaviour order being made”; it also aims to stop truancy.

Also under the act, the Justice Minister would be able to issue a curfew notice, banning children of specified ages from being in a public place during specified hours unless they’re under control of an adult.

The Minister, who would issue curfews following consultation with the Police Commissioner, would be able to return any child breaking the curfew to their parents or another safe place.

The act would also mean parents have to pay up to $10,000 damages when their child has wilfully damaged property.

Sen. Wilson could not be reached yesterday, but she said last week that the bill intends to: “ensure that parents uphold their responsibilities toward their minor children and that minors are equally held to account when they do not adhere to acceptable standards of social conduct.

”This in turn is anticipated to contribute to a host of other systemic measures to stem the current tide of youth delinquency and anti-social behaviour within Bermuda.”

The bill, tabled by Minister Michael Scott yesterday, is likely to be voted on within the next few weeks, with Parliament set to close for the summer in mid-July.