How a juvenile record can affect your child

Your under-18 child may find themselves on the wrong side of the law, which may result in a juvenile record. In many states, juvenile records are confidential (the public can’t access them). However, the court can give access to certain parties, such as a prosecutor or school officials, in some circumstances.

Accordingly, a juvenile record can affect your child in the future in many ways, including:

Difficulty getting into their college of choice

Most colleges ask applicants about their criminal background, including previous arrests, charges faced, charges dropped, verdict of the charges, and so on. Your child may miss out on their favorite college because of a juvenile conviction. It’s not uncommon for colleges to want to admit students who reflect positively on the institution.

A juvenile record should not affect your child’s eligibility for college, but it can reduce their chances of being accepted into one.

Difficulty being enlisted in the military

As a federal agency, the military can access your child’s juvenile record even if it was expunged. Certain juvenile crimes may make the military conclude that your child is not “morally fit.”

Harsh penalties in the future

While you wish your child to avoid legal trouble ever, anything can happen. They may be charged with a traffic violation or any other crime. Unfortunately, juvenile history can be used when determining sentencing, bond amount, and release in a future criminal charge.

A significant percentage of juvenile records are sealed to protect the future of kids who made a mistake. But your child may be negatively impacted by a juvenile crime. Nonetheless, with legal guidance, you can protect them by making informed decisions now. 

This article is for general information purposes. It helps you know you have options. Hence, you should get legal help. The information provided is not legal advice.