There are plenty of good books, tapes, and parenting classes that parents can use to learn what they did not receive naturally. Many parents assume that older children should know better. The fact that a child is older is no guarantee that he or she has mastered the skill of restitution. The news is filled with examples of adults who have committed heinous crimes against others proving that age is not always a factor. Learning social skills is a lifelong process.
Mastery comes only with trial and error.
Parents can teach their children the difficult concept of restitution, starting at an early age, regardless of whether the child takes to it or not. Setting the forms for future social behavior is an important task for parents with young children. Instructing and modeling it for older children is also important. Hopefully with the right amount of early training and constant example, children of all ages will learn how to say they are sorry. And mean it.