Teen Advocate

This site is to help teens. In case you didn't know, to be an advocate means to be the voice of someone, or to help speak on their behalf, to represent them etc. Since teenagers have few legal rights, they need others to help them.

Here are some links:

Here is something from the American Bar Association (http://www.abanet.org/publiced/youth/sia/youthrights/equaljustice.html)

In the juvenile system, a status offense is a misbehavior that is not criminal for adults, such as truancy, running away, unruliness, and involvement in certain sexual acts or associations.

Cartoon page

http://www.abanet.org/publiced/youth/sia/cartoons/constitution.html

Here is something from the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) http://www.aclu.tv/episodes/youth

Young people in America are often treated as if the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to them. In many schools, for instance, students’ writings are censored, backpacks and lockers are searched without reasonable suspicion, and low-income students are expected to learn in wretched conditions. In this episode of The ACLU Freedom Files, you’ll meet young people whose rights were violated and who fought back.

Wikipedias Page on Youth Rights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_rights

Wiki page on "runaway"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_youth

Question

What is a status offense?

Answer

Status offenses in Michigan are defined as follows:

(2) The juvenile has deserted his or her home without sufficient cause and the court finds on the record that the juvenile has been placed or refused alternative placement or the juvenile and the juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian have exhausted or refused family counseling.

(3) The juvenile is repeatedly disobedient to the reasonable and lawful commands of his or her parents, guardian, or custodian and the court finds on the record by clear and convincing evidence that court-accessed services are necessary.

(4) The juvenile willfully and repeatedly absents himself or herself from school or other learning program intended to meet the juvenile's educational needs, or repeatedly violates rules and regulations of the school or other learning program, and the court finds on the record that the juvenile, the juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian, and school officials or learning program personnel have met on the juvenile's educational problems, and educational counseling and alternative agency help have been sought. As used in this sub-subdivision only, "learning program" means an organized educational program that is appropriate, given the age, intelligence, ability, and any psychological limitations of a juvenile, in the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, writing, and English grammar.

http://courts.co.calhoun.mi.us/quest076.htm

Here is a good article about parents who snoop.

http://blog.psychlinks.ca/monitoring-vs-privacy-where-are-the-boundaries