Quote From: dixiebrit As a former expat American who lived in the London, England area for many years, I saw more and more of my fellow expats rudely awakened to the fact that, despite the language similarities and other home touches, when you leave the USA, you are NOT in America anymore and your kids and you are subject to the laws (or lack thereof) of whatever country you are in.
When you go on a cruise, you are subject to laws of the sea and the laws of the country of registry that the cruiseliner belongs to. When you enter another country, even one that seems like "home", don't take for granted that they are going to look at your under-18s the same way as they would be viewed at home. If the drinking age in that country is 16, your kids could be in bars getting slipped rohypnol or other date-rape drugs. If the sex laws in that country are extremely liberal, your child could be raped (even if it seemed like consent) because it is allowed in that country.
Americans who travel abroad or even work abroad need to be better informed as to their rights as parents and about other social laws that will affect their families and themselves. In England, children can go on welfare at age 16, whether they need it or not, just because they don't like the rules at home. Many expat families found out the hard way that, even though their children were not legally allowed to live/work in the UK without the parent's visa, they could move out, be given public housing and funds, and not subject to any of their parents' rules. They could even go and get abortions or RU-486 without parental consent and the parent couldn't get access to the child's medical records once they had reached the age of 16. If you think things are the same as back home because it is comfortable, think again. There will be a rude awakening, and it is our responsibility to be as informed as possible before we subject ourselves and our families to the laws of a foreign country.
As for Natalee Holloway, her parents and those of her peers should never have allowed a senior trip to a property of the Netherlands, one of the most liberal countries with easily accessible drugs, alcohol and sex laws aimed at about as irresponsible behavior with these things as there is. Americans who go to these places uninformed are asking for trouble.
The Netherlands are liberal concerning drugs and alcohol. But it seems to work much better than the strict rules of the United States. I saw a message on this board about the number of addicts, and abuse of the Netherlands and the United States. The last one would be a nasty country to live in or to go for a holiday.
At the age of 16 I was allowed to drink according to the Dutch law. I and a lot of others were able to control our drinking (easily). In the Netherlands a small amount of soft drugs is "gedoogd", which means its still a crime but you won't get arrested etc. I don't use drugs, but I know a lot of people who do. What I have noticed that when things went wrong with alcohol or soft drugs it were mostly tourists from other countries.
And what I have noticed during my education is that you just like to do what is forbidden..............
