No matter who you are, an arrest is definitely a difficult moment in your life. However, if you are a parent, your or your spouse’s arrest can be an exceedingly difficult event in your household.
Although the arrest may be an issue for your family as a whole, your children deserve to understand the meaning behind an arrest and the legal process that’s to come.
Here’s some insight from a Dallas bail bond company that should help a parent or guardian navigate the rough waters of explaining an arrest to a child or young adult.
Be Prepared to Answer Questions
Especially if this is a first-time occurrence, children are going to have a lot of questions. At this moment in their lives, it’s important that you take their curiosity to heart and are able to address their questions with compassion and complete honesty.
The question they will always ask is: Why did my mommy/daddy get arrested?
When it comes to the circumstances behind the actual arrest, if the situation is rather dark we suggest not being overly honest with younger children and keeping the conversation to the point of their loved one being arrested for making a poor decision.
Other questions they are likely to ask are:
- Are people in jail safe?
- What do I tell other people?
- What’s going to happen to me?
- What do people do in jail?
- How long will they be in jail?
The possibility of questions is endless, but the most important point to stress is that you do your best to answer honestly and in a compassionate way that doesn’t add stress to the situation.
Reassure Children of Their Parent’s Love
Many children tend to project their parent’s actions on themselves. They may blame themselves for the parent committing a crime or even go so far as to say the parent did it because they don’t love them.
No matter what, reassure children that they are not the cause of this situation and that their parent’s poor choices don’t reflect how much the child is or isn’t loved.
Remind Them of the Importance of Making Good Choices
Once children understand the meaning of imprisonment, they tend to worry about following in their parent’s footsteps. Should this concern arise, sit them down and remind them that everyone is faced with daily decisions. So long as they make good choices, they are not likely to find themselves in jail or other negative situations.
Walk Them Through the Legal Process
This step may differ depending on the age of the children you are talking to. Younger children may not need this information, but older children should be able to comprehend the next steps in the bail process after an arrest.
Now is a good time to discuss:
- What a bail bond is and how it works
- The importance of attending court hearings after an arrest
- The potential that the parent may end up in prison for some time
Whatever route you take when discussing the legal process, always reassure them that they will remain safe and that like all things in life, this moment, too, shall pass.
Get a Loved One Out of Jail Faster, With 1st Call Bail Bonds
If you or a loved one were arrested in Dallas and need to get out of jail, fast, the bail bond team of 1st Call Bail Bonds can help you find your way out of a jail cell.
We are one of Dallas’ most trusted bondsmen and are available to help out 24/7 and with bonds of any cost.
Contact us today to learn more about our services or to get the bail bond process started.
