The Association urges that legislation be enacted to protect the rights of minors in this regard. In no case should a principal or teacher assume this parental responsibility. Students are clearly subject to normal citizenship responsibility in assisting police, where it is established that the student involved is not subsequently to be charged. This policy should be made known to students, parents, principals, teachers and police. The special vulnerabilities of minors to institutional authority is well recognized in the law.
Juvenile courts are now standard branches of our legal system.
Unfortunately, the courts are not the only place where these vulnerabilities need careful protection. Much of the working day is spent by minors in school, and it is there that the increasingly frequent questioning of minor by police takes place. Not only do these interrogations present a threat to the civil liberties of minors, they also raise the dilemma of the responsibility of school officials in such affairs. In any case, the parents or guardians should be advised of the interview and their wishes obtained where contact with them may be made. Where the interview is conducted at the school and the parents are not present, the principal or teacher should be in attendance in their stead.