Simple assault

[Janylah]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Mississippi.. Hi my daughter and me niece got into a fight. My niece hit my daughter first & my daughter defended herself.. After my brother broke it up my niece had a knot on her head.. Now my sister trying to press charges on my daughter because they got to fighting.. Can my daughter go to jail?? They're both 13 years of age

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Mississippi.. Hi my daughter and me niece got into a fight. My niece hit my daughter first & my daughter defended herself.. After my brother broke it up my niece had a knot on her head.. Now my sister trying to press charges on my daughter because they got to fighting.. Can my daughter go to jail?? They're both 13 years of age

You seem to be minimizing your barely teen child fighting with her cousin. This is not normal.

 

[TigerD]

You seem to be minimizing your barely teen child fighting with her cousin. This is not normal.

It isn't? I fought with my cousins occasionally. Fought with them and for them a couple times too.

TD

 

[Just Blue]

It isn't? I fought with my cousins occasionally. Fought with them and for them a couple times too.

TD

Not to me. A fist fight that ends up in criminal proceedings is not, and never has been, in my "world".

 

[CdwJava]

Jail? No. Juvenile hall? Maybe ... but, doubtful.

The police may not even worry about it. If they do, and if the prosecutor cares, then one or both of the girls may get a stern talking to. MAYBE a form of diversion or probation ... maybe. Incarceration? Very unlikely.

 

[Proserpina]

Not to me. A fist fight that ends up in criminal proceedings is not, and never has been, in my "world".

That seems to have more to do with the adults than the children here though.

Johnny hit Mary! LAWSUIT!
OMGz Mary called Johnny a VERY BAD NAME! Lawsuit!

By the same token if serious damage is done then it does indeed need to be investigated. But for two kids scrapping? Much as I'd like to punish the parents instead, there's really not a whole heck of a lot to do about it.

Blue, your style of parenting is very, very similar to mine (surprise! ) in many ways but especially our thoughts on violence (by either parents or the children themselves). Alas we do not yet rule the world.

 

[TigerD]

Not to me. A fist fight that ends up in criminal proceedings is not, and never has been, in my "world".

Of course not. If we told Mom or Aunt Mary, the whupping would have been far worse than the one we gave each other.

TD

 

[LeeHarveyBlotto]

Not to me. A fist fight that ends up in criminal proceedings is not, and never has been, in my "world".

That mommy wants to press charges is the unusual part, not that kids fight.

 

[LdiJ]

Not to me. A fist fight that ends up in criminal proceedings is not, and never has been, in my "world".

There were 4 of us growing up. Three of us very close in age. We had lots of cousins, also all very close in age. All of our parents were quite clear about no violence. However, that did not stop the occasional fight from happening...nor the resulting consequences from our parents either.

My youngest brother got angry at my sister's boyfriend when my brother was 11 and threw a serious punch. My sister's boyfriend blocked it with his arm and somehow my brother's fist hit just right to break a bone in his own hand. My parent's didn't try to press charges on the boyfriend. They told my brother that he caused his own consequence.

Criminal proceedings are only involved here because one of the parents (a parent of the child who threw the first punch no less) decided to get the police involved in a case of two mutually combatant children.