When it comes to laws surrounding minors, there are certain issues that often lead to question marks for parents. One issue that is often misunderstood is consent – more specifically teacher consent. Understanding the implications of consent can be crucial for parents. There are laws surrounding implied consent that protect minors from being taken advantage of. But there is also an aspect of these laws that can impact minors, especially those with autism. In Singapore, implied consent also revolves around medical related situations. This relates to a minor receiving treatment or undergoing certain medical procedures without permission from their parents or guardians. In some situations, the minors are abusing the law; in others they are being taken advantage of.
First lets discuss the laws by answering the question what the implied consent law means what for a minor? In some situations, implied parental consent for a minor means that if a child has been given permission to do something and then breaks that rule, that child is accountable for that action. A good example of this is someone driving without a license. It can be explained as follows:
Example Tommy is fourteen years old. His parents own a car and have given Tommy permission to drive it so he can learn to drive. Tommy gets his hands on his parent’s car one night and takes a few of his friends out for a joyride. He drives the car recklessly through several areas across town and they eventually get pulled over. In this scenario, Tommy would be held accountable because he was given permission to drive, albeit under certain circumstances that he then broke. By allowing Tommy to drive the car at all, his parents extended implied consent, leaving him culpable for his actions. This is fairly straightforward for most children.
However, in the case of children with autism, there are situations where they may not be fully comprehending the rules around implied consent, leaving them vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Sometimes, a child may be taken advantage of because they have an autism spectrum disorder. These individuals may lack cognitive reasoning skills or their emotional maturity may not align with their chronological age. This could lead to situations like the one below.
Example Sammy is fifteen years old. One day at school he was talking with his teachers and fellow students. During the conversation, one of his fellow students asked if anyone was going to the bathroom. Sammy said that he had to go to the bathroom. In response, one of his fellow classmates said that they would pay him $5 to accompany them. Because Sammy likes money and says no more than he says yes, he agrees to go with them. This scenario has no specifics – just a general example. While the example may appear harmless at first, there are many situations where minors may be exploited in this manner. Minors with autism are some of the most vulnerable people in this area of the law. They may not fully grasp the idea of consent and they could be coerced into doing things they know are wrong. For example, minors may be persuaded by peers to use illicit drugs and when parents find out they argue that the minor made the decision on their own.
If you want to learn more about this, visit the following site which covers the basics of implied consent law for minors and what all parents should know. The suggested article includes basic information that every parent of a minor should know, especially parents of those with autism. It covers topics such as parental consent regarding medical treatment and school assessments.