# Could grounding your child be considered false imprisonment?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-grounding-your-child-be-considered-false-imprisonment/246257>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 20, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-grounding-your-child-be-considered-false-imprisonment/246257 "2004-05-20T23:03:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-grounding-your-child-be-considered-false-imprisonment/246257/1 "2004-05-20T23:03:16Z")

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Is there an exception because the child is in the custody of their parent?

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-grounding-your-child-be-considered-false-imprisonment/246257/2 "2004-05-20T23:10:27Z")

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So when did proper discipline of a child be considered a crime?

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**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-grounding-your-child-be-considered-false-imprisonment/246257/3 "2004-05-21T00:02:09Z")

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Minors do not have the same constitutional rights as adults. Provided you feed him and educate him and such, you can keep him in his room as long as you want!

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-grounding-your-child-be-considered-false-imprisonment/246257/4 "2004-05-21T00:08:42Z")

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> [@Johnnyt27](#):
>
> Could grounding your child be considered false imprisonment?

Probably not, but depending on the potential you’ve raised him to before grounding, you could be charged with murder.