January 26, 2015 Selling drugs at school is an offense that should be taken very seriously. If you have discovered that one of your children are the criminal offenders, the best option is to nip it in the bud as soon as possible. Empathize Before taking any action, the first thing to do is to take a step back and think. How would you feel if you walked in your child’s room one day and discovered drugs hidden in his or her dresser drawer or smelled marijuana? How would you react? What would you do about it? If you are a good parent, you will probably do everything in your power to get answers. Eventually, the truth will come out. Stage An Intervention An intervention between both families will be necessary. An intervention is any drastic proactive measure taken by anyone who suspects a loved one has a problem. If your teen has admitted to you that he or she has sold drugs, the first thing to do is to get addresses and parent’s names of the recipients through the student handbook. The second thing to do is pay them a visit, unannounced, with your child by your side. Thirdly, sit down and talk to everyone involved in a calm and peaceful manner in a quiet place where there will be no interruptions. There is likely to be a mix of emotions as soon as word gets out that their son or daughter bought drugs. Denial, anger, grief, and disappointment are some common reactions when confronted with such a serious matter. Reduce tension by not pointing fingers or placing blame on anyone so that you can reach a resolution. Have A Good Plan Of Attack When everyone is calm, focus on taking appropriate action. Have your child return the money and make sure to get all the drugs back. Also, suggest that the other family comes up with enforceable plans with contingent consequences such as random room checks to ensure that this never happens again. Ask your child who he or she got the drugs from and immediately call the police to ensure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Finding out that your son or daughter has sold drugs is devastating news. By taking immediate action, however, you can prevent a situation from becoming far worse, deter it from happening to someone else, and ultimately have peace of mind. Contact an attorney at The Nahajski Firm today by calling 206-621-0500 or by email.