Q: My daughter is 15. A boy at school attacked her; it was unprovoked. She is physically hurt, needed medical attention and psychologically, it has caused her noticeable harm. She is not sleeping well, she is not herself. The kid who did this is 17 and is pleading guilty. If I got the chance to smash him in the face or rough him up, are you telling me doing so would be breaking the law?

S.S., Santa Clarita

A: You are not allowed to take the law into your own hands. We have a legal system that addresses crimes against others. Your reaction, your anger, are understandable, perhaps to put it mildly, but if you attack the offender, you not only could harm the case against him, but you also may may place yourself in jeopardy of criminal and/or civil charges, and depending upon how things pl

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