The common notion is that minors cannot be sued for their civil wrongs. This typically enumerates from the concept that all contracts with minors are ‘void ab initio’, meaning that all contracts with minors are not valid enforceable contracts in the eyes of the law.
However, minors can be sued for their civil wrongs in the law of Torts. They are liable for both wrongs of omission and commission. There are many instances where minors have been held liable for assault, libel , slander, fraud, embezzlement etc… Where knowledge, malice or use of the faculty of mind is required to prove the liability, then the defense of minority can be set up and this defense is generally rebutted by proving sufficient maturity of the minor and that he could understand the effects of his acts.
As a minor is not liable under a contract, therefore a contract cannot be converted into a tort thus making the minor liable. This would be an indirect way of enforcing a contract and thus defeating the purpose of protecting minors under the law of contracts.
Parents may be held liable for the wrongs committed by their children where the wrong was committed due to parent’s own negligence or by allowing the child to commit the wrong.