Past Questions

Q: Our 17 1/2 year old refuses to follow home rules. Drives boyfriends car without our permission. Are we as parents responsible if involved in an accident?

A: This response is from Karen Godfrey, Juvenile Investigator with the Hanover Sheriff's Office (365-6258 or krgodfrey@co.hanover.va.us)

There are a couple avenues you can explore with this situation. One option would be to contact Juvenile Intake and inquire about a CHINS petition. CHINS stands for Child in Need of Services or Supervision. In this case it would be Services. Since your child is almost 18, this may not be the most feasible route. This process can be lengthy since the parents must first exhaust all other reasonable alternatives that are available in the community prior to Court intervention. Hanover's Court Services Unit can be contacted at (804) 365-6201.

Also, as a parent, you have control over your child's license and can request that DMV cancel his/her permit. The child cannot re-apply for six months or their 18th birthday, whichever is first. See http://dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/citizen/drivers/vadm/vadm1-2.asp As for your responsibility as a parent if he/she is driving someone else's vehicle......more than likely the vehicle owner's insurance would cover any damages or injury caused by the accident. You could, however, be responsible if civil action is taken against your child who is a minor.

Q: How can we as parents communicate with law enforcement/schools to stop weekend teen parties and report adults who are contributing to this problem?

A: Call the Sheriff's Office at 730-6140 when there is a party where underage drinking, drug use, or disturbances may be occurring. But whom do you call if you receive information before the party actually starts?

Utilize your School Resource Officer.

The resource officer will intervene immediately and try to prevent the party situation from developing into a potentially unsafe or illegal environment. The officer will inform the parents about the information they received, provide tips on keeping the party safe, and then follow up with the parent after the event to see if it was successful. The officer is not trying to keep the party from occurring, just to ensure that is will be safe, and free from drugs and alcohol. Sometimes teens plan a party without their parents' knowledge to be held while adults are out of town. In such cases, the Resource Officer can alert the parent.

School Resource Officers for Hanover middle and high Schools:

LDHS / SJMS, Officer Brian Duke, (804) 723-2227
HHS / OKMS, Officer Tommy Eaves, (804) 723-3700
AHS / CMS, Officer Mark Humphreys, (804) 723-2124
PHHS / LMS, Officer Bill Shaw, (804) 365-8012