What will you do if a child(looks pity) standing at your front door and asking for some money?

At my front door? Sorry, but I’d turn them away.

I would also turn them away, but probably wouldn,y answer the door in the first place.

I would ask him where his parents were.

I’d probably roll the kid for whatever he had managed to collect up to that point.

fuck you guys. times are tough.

@Blondesjon
Follow him back to the source and shake down the parents too. Wrong house bitch.

I’d tell the kid to wait there, close the door, arm my self and see whats going on round the back of the house. if he/she is actually alone and its not part of some trick, ill ask where their parents are and what the story is and see if i can help. as for giving cash, no way, you get food and a blanket at most.

There are three reasons why a child could be begging at my door. One, he has a normal family and he’s well provided for, but wants the money for something the parents don’t approve of. Two, the family is so poor or the parents are so out of it that the kid is forced to do this, or the kid has such bad parents that they make him do this. Three, the kid is on his own and is begging to support himself.

Either way, I’d have to find out what was going on. A child begging at your door is not normal. If this child had a family that otherwise kept him safe and provided for him, they’d want to know about the begging. In the other two situations, someone like child protective services or a teacher or counselor needs to get involved in caring for this child.

I know chances are pretty low that I’ll figure out what’s going on all by myself, but if I saw a situation like that going on, I’d have to start asking some questions. I only think this way because I’ve actually seen something like this happening. When I worked at the adult store, a lady used to beg for money in the area with her two kids. She’d come into the store and leave her kids on the front step, or she’d sit on the steps above our store with the kids and beg for money all day, which scared away customers. My boss called the police, and one of the kids told the officer that they all went to a baseball game. It turned out to be a scam- the woman dressed up as a homeless person and brought her kids with her for sympathy. Scam or not, there’s no way the kids should be out there begging.

@Haleth – great answer. I’d do the same investigating in case the cry for money was really a cry for help in disguise.

I wouldn’t just let him go – I would ask where any adult that they’re connected is…there was a young girl on the corner with a broken UNICEF cup asking for money the other days – I saw that a couple of adults were also around and clearly she doesn’t even know what UNICEF is and I gave her money, told her to put it in her pocket instead and not give put it into the cup and not to tell anyone about it and to use it in an emergency..I also dropped a quarter into the cup when the adults were looking…also I’m surprised at some of the initial answers to this q – quite cruel.

I don’t think that any amount of money that I could afford to give would really make a difference. It probably wouldn’t last them that long and I’d be pretty concerned that they’d use it for the wrong things. Besides, I imagine that they’re probably really looking for something other than money — they probably just want help but don’t know how to ask for it.

I think the most helpful thing I could do at that point would be to try to contact their parents. If that’s not possible, or if they were strongly opposed to going home, contact whichever authorities can help them.

In this neighbourhood, I think that would be very strange behaviour. I suppose it depends on the child and the vibe I get from him or her. Why does he or she need money? Is it for bus fare? A taxi? Food? Is the child lost? Did he or she waste all of his or her money on something else? Is he or she trying to distract me from destructive behaviour going on somewhere else around me? Is the child trying to run away from home? Is the child looking for “help”, perhaps an “escape”? There’s so many possibilities. I suppose I could also call the police to make sure the child gets home safely and to tell them what’s going on. For all I know, the parents of this child might be looking for him or her, searching in vain, hoping he or she returns home. What if the child got kicked out, though? What if he or she feels safer on the streets? Then, that becomes a tough call. In the worst case scenario, the police are there for a reason.

First move would be to call the police. a child has no business at anyones front door begging for money. be an investigator and ask a lot of questions to the child, while you are waiting for the police. this should signal a red flag to you that something is wrong here.

Give her/him some money and ask her/him what else she needs…

I’d go on my instinct, case by case: be wary and suspect a scam, but allow my intuition to tell me if this was a case of genuine need. How I handled the situation from there would depend on a lot of factors. I have shooed away any number of kids with polished, recited patter begging for some obscure donation but let in one who appeared to be running in terror and stood next to her while she used my phone to call her social worker.

If my child were suddenly in a desperate situation, I hope someone would help him out.

I have also given food to a hungry man at my door and another time gave a man a $20 bill. I trust my own intuition and also know that I might be wrong about them. It’s okay. I’m not the agent of justice.

I think @Haleth has the answer nailed down, as far as US or Canada is concerned. I’ve been stationed in some godawful places where children are forced to beg or starve. I gave rations, blankets, groundsheets, whatever. Money usually wouldn’t do them much good in such places anyway.

When you give, give with the expectation of never getting back even a portion of what you give. If you can’t afford to toss the money into the ocean, then you can’t afford to give it. Since you can never be sure if what you give will be used for necessity, you are either giving so you can feel better, or because God told you to give. God does not do this often.

I’d let the police deal with the situation. If the child or adult is begging, they are obviously in need. The first things that they need are safety, a roof over their heads and some food in their bellies. The police is good at providing those things. I am not. They are the professionals. Let them handle the situation.

Wow, I keep coming across things that make me think of Kahlil Gibran. This is from The Prophet, this time the subject is giving;

And is there aught you would withhold?
All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors’.

You often say, “I would give, but only to the deserving.”
The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.
They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights, is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be, than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving.
For in truth it is life that gives unto life while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.

And you receivers… and you are all receivers… assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;
For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.

That being said, I agree with the others that anyone bustin’ up at my door is suspect, and a child doubly so. I’d be on the phone to CPS. No child should be forced to beg. Not in this country. If the child is without parent, it needs to be taken into protective custody. If the child is with a parent who makes it beg, ditto.

Probably gonna tell them to piss off. People at the front door usually scare the shit out of me.

@Haleth Your answer is superb.

When something like this happens, something serious is amiss. This is a dangerous behavior for a child and must not be reinforced.

If you want to help, find out where the child lives, or in whose car they are being ferried around.

Contact a social worker, share this information and get them involved in helping the child or the family.

If you want to help more, direct your money where you are sure it will help families or children in desperate circumstances.

@Trillian
This one line is to me most profound and so contrary to our usual thought process.
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving.
-

That’s easy, help, and really help.

All the above nails it. Haleth esp.

Find out why the child needs help. There is more need than money needed here. Yup, could be a scam, but we also have our civic duty.

What if the child were wounded and freezing too. Call the authorities, while giving comfort. An issue for child protective services.

This is a good question to test the minimal civic responsibility. If the common man lacks the common sense to do the above, then we definitely need a “nanny state” with doctors forced to work against their will. Civilians forced to be responsible civilians against their will.

Such a system will not work. Forcing people to behave ethically against gravity is horribly inefficient. They will wind up in squalor.

Unethical systems or unethical populations produce nothing but shit. For Sodom or Gomorrah to survive, there has to be a certain percent of producers, and a minimal degree of law and order. Otherwise, Atlas shrugs.

Where I live it happens a couple of times a day and I know it is not a scam. The welfare money was gambled, drunk or smoked away and there is none left for food. Or because of the rules of the culture the food was shared and there was not enough left after the old men ate theirs first. So I don’t give them money, I keep food in the back and I make them a sandwich or I take them up the street and buy them something reasonably healthy. If I give them money an adult may take it from them or they will buy fries and a coke.

whoa rooey – thats nasty. What can ya do?

Exactly what I am doing, feed the hungry kid.

Where I live, it is against the law for beggars to come to our door. If a child did that, I would call social services and make sure they took the child in. I support many charities, and my taxes go to support public agencies to help people, and that is where they should go for help. I don’t like this business of begging on the streets.

I would bring that child into my home make him/her a hearty meal, allow him/her to bathe or shower, wash his/her clothing, give him/her a place to sleep for that night, and finally the next day I would take that child somewhere, where he/she can get the help that he/she needs.

^GA

If a kid is at my front door begging for money you can bet his mates are round the back trying to break into my shed. It’s that sort of neighbourhood.

If on the other hand there was genuine physical need, I would call social services and report it. I’d still check my shed though.

@Trance24 Thanks for your honesty!,you truly an angel!.

@Doctor_D
Jokes notwithstanding I imagine most anyone here would do the same thing.

@Doctor_D Awe thanks, and no problem.

I’d ask the child if they’d like to come in and have a meal. If they say no, I understand why they would, of course I’d give them money. If they said yes though I’d feed them and ask them if there’s anything else they need help with or if they like to stay the night in the spare room. And if they want to leave, I’d say okay, you’re welcome back anytime and don’t be affraid to ask for my help.

I live in a country where people will knock at my door and solicit money several times a day.

I never think it’s a good idea to give out money, but I have a stash of food that I keep around to give those people.

So, to answer your question, no, I wouldn’t give money. I would offer food and if they say yes, I’m happy to give them food.