Parents of Kids at Schoolies are turning to Private Investigators – Should you?
It’s that time of year again. Teenagers are finishing their VCE and going off to celebrate in the long honoured tradition of ‘Schoolies’. But is it safe? As we discussed on The Fox with Fifi and Dave, each year gets more and more dangerous, so some parents are taking precautions and hiring a private investigator to keep an eye on their kids… and the results are alarming.
It’s a tough call to make, but parents with children going on a Schoolies holiday are worried. Reports of alcohol poisoning, drug abuse, assault and violence are rushing in. You don’t want to stop them from living their life and experiencing the joys of a great holiday, but you also don’t want them to make poor decisions that could put them in danger.
The sense of freedom from responsibilities after exams are over, coupled with the fact that this is often a teenager’s first holiday on their own, gives these kids a sense of invincibility. Add in the loss of inhibition as they drink alcohol and get absorbed into the atmosphere of the celebrations, and we find that even the most responsible of teenagers can get caught up and make a decision they might regret.
In hiring a private investigator, many parents are looking for peace of mind. They want to know that their son or daughter is safe, and that they are celebrating without getting into trouble or doing anything illegal. There are definitely many stories like this, where our investigators find the kids celebrating their Schoolies without taking it too far or getting into dangerous situations. But for every story like that, there’s a case where the kids get into a situation that’s gone badly out of hand. Kids are trying drugs for the first time, feeling pressured to drink too much, and getting caught up and doing stupid things that could have major consequences on the life later on.
The job of a private investigator is to observe only; record their behaviour through surveillance and to report back to the parent or relative what we’ve found. We’re not bodyguards, so we’re not here to intervene. However we can have a situation where we can call you if something is happening that you ought to know. You can even set with your detective what behaviours you would like to be alerted to immediately (if they start taking drugs, for example). There have definitely been incidents where parents have flown in to intervene after finding out about the dangerous things their child has been up to. Also, if a situation gets to be extremely dangerous we can call the police, but this is only in extreme situations where someone’s life is in danger.
Do you think your son or daughter will behave while they’re on their Schoolies holiday? Are you 100% certain they won’t be caught up in the moment and succumb to peer pressure? Short of completely trying to ban their Schoolies holiday, an investigator could be the solution. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that if something goes bad, you’ll know straight away. You can find out what they’re up to and make the decision whether to call them with a warning, intervene, punish them when they get back, or, in extreme cases, get them help for a problem. Or, you could get the peace of mind of knowing your son or daughter is being safe on their Schoolies holiday.
If you’d like to know whether your child is being safe at Schoolies, give us a call on 1300 721 715 or email info@eliteinvestigations.com.au.