Should it be a punishable crime for a father to not take responsibility over his child?

[shaysh87]

For example, a man gets a woman pregnant, and he ditches her after he finds out about the pregnancy. should this be a crime? If it should be ok for fathers to ditch their children, why shouldn't single mothers have the right to abandon their kids at the playground and never see them again?

Updates

+1 y

why should prostitution be illegal, but abandoning a human life that desperately needs you be legal?

[Chazmatazz269]

It is a crime in every state in the US if a man fails to provide for his children. There are tens of thousands of men in prison for exactly that. In fact, it’s a crime for a man to abandon a child that’s NOT his in 37 states, and there are men in prison for that too. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of US states permit women to abandon children at police stations, firehouses and churches, no questions asked. But if a man wants to do the same, he’s identified and held accountable to the state for child support until and unless the state finds the child a home. So… do you even have the slightest clue what you’re actually talking about or are you just trolling?

[Anonymous]

Sure she can. You know how many times I’ve heard of places where women can “safely” leave their child if she doesn’t feel she can care for the child? If she’s getting an abortion she’s abandoning her child as well. If women want to be able to have that choice w out a man’s input then he should be able to walk away as well w her repercussions if he doesn’t want to be a father. If he feels he isn’t capable or ready to be a father why isn’t he allowed to walk if women feel they can do the same w abortions?

[LazerBean]

I'm pretty sure it is. A man is legally required to financially support a child unless the mother declines or unless he gives up all legal rights to the child.

[shaysh87]

its not actually. Its not an arrestable offense to not pay child support. Cops do not look for fathers who abandon their kids

[LazerBean]

"Because child support is essentially a court order, a non-custodial parent who is not making these payments will be found in contempt of court. They are informed of the contempt charge in writing and ordered to appear in court. If the parent does not appear, a bench warrant for their arrest will be issued. Even if the parent does appear, they may still be sent to jail if they cannot provide adequate proof that they could not make the child support payments, rather than simply being unwilling to do so."

thelawdictionary.org/.../

[shaysh87]

Nationally, more than 70% of single mothers do not receive any child support at all, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. And around 34% of those families headed by unmarried mothers live in poverty — a rate that is almost five times that of married couples.

www.npr.org/.../after-the-break-up-moving-forward-as-a-single-parent-when-child-support-goes-unpaid

[LazerBean]

Where in that article does it say that the non custodial parent is not allowed to be punished?

[shaysh87]

Because if it was punishable then there wouldn't be so many single mothers without child support.

[RobEurope]

Its not an arrestable offense because its part of civil law and not criminal law.

[shaysh87]

there are many things that are punishable, but the government does not take them seriously. Littering is a punishable crime. I litter on the streets all the time. Police see me do it , they don't care.

[LazerBean]

"14% of fathers with child support debt – 1 in 7– were jailed for that debt"

sites.utexas.edu/.../

They absolutely do get jailed, however it is the custodian parent who has the responsibility to notify the court when the non custodial parent fails to comply.

[shaysh87]

Here in NY, nobody gets jailed for not paying child support.

[shaysh87]

In where I live, you don't get jailed for child support. You just won't qualify for welfare or any of its services or you may be restricted from being employed at some government jobs. But an arrest? Hell no.

[LazerBean]

Yeah, I would definitely believe that about New York.

[shaysh87]

You won't believe how common it is for kids to not have father. Either the father ditched when the kid was 5 or ditched at birth or pops up every few years

[shaysh87]

Im talking about new york city

[RobEurope]

If something is a matter between citizens, its part of civil law. Only if you have damaged or impaired the rights of other citizens is it part of the criminal code. Not following your own duties to another citizen is part of civil law, in civic courts.

[bamesjond0069]

This makes no sense. Many fathers aren't there because they cannot reasonable be. The courts give primary custody to mom. Mom calls the police on dad for "abuse" or whatever nonsense or just throws things or screams. Its not dad responsibility to put up with that 18 years. Nor does it add to the childs life to have dad around if they grow up with whack job mom in control. From the mans perspective... invest lots of time and money into the kid and turns out like shit. Or invest no resources into the kid and he turns out like shit... whats it matter?

[SiberFox]

You know, 100 years ago we had a culture that had a solve for that problem. But women wanted to be a part of the work force and have responsibilities, now they don't take accountability for those responsibilities and look to the government to help them.
You want guys to stay and care for their children? You have to make it worth their time and you have to have women that are worth staying with.
If men are to have the responsibility of providing the mother and the child, the woman needs to have a responsibility towards the man and the child.

[shaysh87]

[You want guys to stay and care for their children? You have to make it worth their time and you have to have women that are worth staying with.]

take a look at your entitlement. when you have a life that desperately needs you, you shouldn't have a choice on whether its worth your time or not. You are a parent and you have a duty to fulfill as a parent. If you decided to have sex, you must take responsibility. REGARDLESS OF IF IT IS WORTH YOUR TIME OR NOT.

The problem is that we have way too many men like you who ditch when they don't feel they have anything to gain out of being with the child. If you're a parent, you're a parent. Parenting shouldn't be optional. You're dealing with a human life that needs you emotionally and financially.

take a look at how many kids out there hate such anger towards their fathers for abandoning them.

[shaysh87]

Being a parent is not optional. And its immoral for being a parent to be optional.

[SiberFox]

I never disagreed with you, yes a man that fathers a child needs to be in the life of that child. What I'm telling you is that the culture has eroded to the point where men can and do get away with it because many women do not take the responsibility of vetting the man they sleep with. This in turn lets men consistently make the same mistakes over and over without having much consequense. The unfortunate part is that women let themselves be used by such men because they weren't taught how to properly vet men. I want children to grow in a stable nuclear family, but for that to happen, women need to incentivise men into staying with them. 100 years ago, premarital sex was a big nono, and a man had to prove himself to the woman and her family in order to marry her and start a family. Women no longer require this from men, this tells men that they don't have to take responsibility when impregnating a woman.
I'm not "entitled" or "mysoginist" or whatever insult you threw at me. I'm making an observation and putting my opinion. You don't like it fine, but don't insult others because you don't like what they have to say.

[shaysh87]

you already said what you said.

you said that a man shoudln't need to stay with his kid , if the mother is not agreeable.

this itself explains that you believe that fulfilling the duty of a parent should be optional.

and there is nothing worse than a parent looking for excuses to justify not being there for his kid.

[SiberFox]

You aren't honest in this conversation and only understanding what you want to understand.

[shaysh87]

A fucking kid DOES NOT need to prove why he is worth your time to be there for him.

[shaysh87]

@SiberFox

why are you still trying to defend yourself? you've already said what you said. I think you're the one who isn't entirely honest on here.

[HighValue]

Women are legally allowed to abandon their kids as long as it is within the first three days after birth with no explanation needed.

[Cubus]

This would be pretty much against style of life the left is promoting, which is jumping from flower to flower.

[John_Doesnt]

Yes, we should put responsibility on the men as well. They are %50 responsible for it.

[KrakenAttackin]

Single mothers can and do abandon their children at designated "safe spaces". No joke.

[ManHater]

Punish both. Too many dumb fucking women who open their legs to any man.

[Fineold22]

" Gets a woman pregnant." I like that. Women must just fall onto these cocks accidentally I guess.

[RobEurope]

Women can drop their kids of at safe havens. They go into the adoption industry.

[driven159]

They go to jail if they don't pay child support

[OddBeMe]

Punishable by monetary citation. Which courts do.