The effect of a criminal conviction on your child's life doesn't end after the child has served their sentence. Some consequences can follow the child for the rest of their life. Below are examples of these long-term consequences.
Education
A juvenile conviction can affect a child's education in several ways. First, the criminal justice process can interrupt a child's schooling if the child has to make court appearances or gets incarcerated. Secondly, other children may bully the child and make the school environment difficult for the child.
Also, the child may not qualify for financial aid that requires disclosure of criminal convictions. Lastly, the child may also fail to get into certain colleges depending on the seriousness of the crime and the colleges' policies.
Career
A conviction may also prevent a child from enjoying their dream career. First, a disrupted education can prevent a child from getting a foothold in their favorite job. Secondly, some employers, such as the military, don't accept people convicted of certain crimes. The law also doesn't allow those convicted of some crimes to get into careers that deal with children.
Housing
Having a clean criminal history is usually a prerequisite to public housing access. Thus, a child convicted of a criminal act makes it difficult for their family to enjoy public housing. Also, landlords are sometimes reluctant to rent out their properties to people with a criminal past. Lastly, a sexual offense conviction prevents people from living close to places where children congregate, such as schools.
Immigration
If the convicted juvenile is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, but wishes to be either, then their criminal conviction may be one more barrier to their desires. The United States can deport criminal convicts, and once deported, the child may be barred from further entry into the country.
Stigma
Lastly, the stigma that criminal convictions attract may follow the child for the better part of their life. This is particularly true if the conviction is a matter of public records. It's even worse if the crime is one that society considers heinous, such as sexual crimes. The child may fee unwanted and unwelcome everywhere they go.
The effects of a criminal conviction are dire. Do your best to get your child the best defense attorney if your child is facing criminal charges. You still need a lawyer even if your child has been convicted. The criminal defense attorney can help you clean up the child's criminal history and minimize its consequences.
Share