Parents are not always being given the opportunity to make a fully informed decision when it comes to the welfare of their children, especially when it comes to psychiatry and the ‘treatments’ being suggested.
Being fully informed means having all of the information about various so-called ‘mental disorders’ that psychiatrists claim children are suffering from. It means having all of the information about the effects of psychiatric drugs being prescribed for various ‘disorders’, as well as knowing and being able to apply their fundamental rights as parents.
There can be no doubt that some parents need help. Whether this is as a result of a school complaining about their child’s behaviour, or the parent observing emotional or educational problems, parents need information that will help them make the right choices that are in the best interests of their children.
On the UK Government website, under the heading Parental rights and responsibilities, it states that parents are responsible for “agreeing to the child’s medical treatment.”
“All mothers and most fathers have legal rights and responsibilities as a parent – known as ‘parental responsibility’. “If you have parental responsibility, your most important roles are to:
- provide a home for the child
- protect and maintain the child
You’re also responsible for:
- disciplining the child
- choosing and providing for the child’s education
- agreeing to the child’s medical treatment
- naming the child and agreeing to any change of name
- looking after the child’s property
Basic principles
- Parental responsibility refers to the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities that most parents have in respect of their children.
- Parental responsibility includes the right of parents to consent to treatment on behalf of their children, provided the treatment is in the interests of the child.
- Those with parental responsibility have a statutory right to apply for access to their children’s health records, although if the child is capable of giving consent, he or she must consent to the access
- Competent children can decide many aspects of their care for themselves.
- Where doctors believe that parental decisions are not in the best interests of the child, it may be necessary to seek a view from the courts, whilst meanwhile only providing emergency treatment that is essential to preserve life or prevent serious deterioration.
When a person is asked for their consent, information about the proposed care and treatment must be provided in a way that they can understand. This should include information about the risks, complications and any alternatives. A person with the necessary knowledge and understanding of the care and treatment should provide this information so that they can answer any questions about it to help the person consent to it.
It is therefore vital that parents have all of the facts available to them about “mental disorders” and the facts about psychiatric drug risks. Parents should also be made aware of the non-harmful alternatives so that they can make those all-important decisions based on all of the information.