Question 1
The Harm principle does not apply to Sarah and her behavior. This is because the principle indicates that, “The government can only intervene and restrict a person’s liberty if their action causes harm to others and not themselves.” Sarah is addicted to gambling, which is legalized, but it causes her to spend much money, which does not bring her any returns. This means that their actions affect her finances and nobody else. Unless Sarah decides to quit gambling, the government cannot force her to stop, and neither can it interfere with what she is doing. Unless her actions cause harm to her children or the neighbors, only then can the government intervene.
Question 2
It is essential to offer Sarah help so that she can stop her addiction to gambling. It has proven that she has spent all her money with gambling, and she is now taking mortgages and selling her households to keep up with the addiction. The first action that should be taken is to talk to Sarah. Talk to her about her conspicuous gambling addiction and how she neglected her duties as a mother. Listen to her as there could be underlying issues that cause her to gamble. Take your time, and understand her reasons for gambling, and ask her if she is willing to quit this behavior (Choliz & Saiz-Ruiz , 2016). If she is willing, you can help her seek professional help, where she will be guided on how to manage her finances, and if there is an underlying condition like drug addiction, she can also go for rehabilitation.
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The actions taken will help Sarah and her children whose lives are majorly affected by their mother’s addiction. If Sarah is not able to pay off her debts, her children would not even have somewhere to call home, and they will not be able to go to school because there will be financial difficulties where paying school fees will be a problem. Sarah's addictions to gambling have caused her to neglect her children, who now seem to always care for themselves. The help offered will also help Sarah from suffering depression and mental sickness that comes when one becomes bankrupt, and they do not have any source of money. Sarah's social life has also been affected as she does not have any friends visiting her as most of the time, she is in casinos.
Question 3
Yes, the next-door neighbor should take action and protect Sarah's minor children from any harm because their mother has become an absentee mother due to her addiction to gambling. The neighbor can nurture these children by looking after them when their mother leaves. She can also offer them some healthy food if they do not have any. The neighbor can interact with the children at an emotional level and understand them, ask them their fears, and what they feel should be done better by their parents. Later, she can talk to the mother regarding her children's concerns and indicate that she has noticed that the children are physically neglected because they have become dirty, meaning nobody is washing their clothes or looking after them (Benedan et al., 2018). The children are not adequately supervised as most nights; they are left alone, which means they are not safe.
Depending on the mother's response, the neighbor can take further action where she can report to the children officer that there are children who are neglected by their parents. This will help the children to get some help and protection from the government. With the neighbors’ help, the children can get more love and care and grow healthy.
References
Choliz, M., & Saiz-Ruiz, J. (2016). Regulating gambling to prevent addiction: more necessary now than ever. Adicciones , 28 (3).
Benedan, L., Powell, M. B., Zajac, R., Lum, J. A., & Snow, P. (2018). Suggestibility in neglected children: The influence of intelligence, language, and social skills. Child abuse & neglect , 79 , 51-60.
