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BlueBongo's case is tragic and is one example of a lock being a neccessity, not just a priviledge.
That said, however, I must take the position that, in general, children should not be able to lock their rooms. I agree with Lurkette's comments:
"There's no reason for a kid to lock his/her door. Basic etiquette - knocking first, as in TOK's family - should suffice, plus a "do not disturb" sign for when you just want to be left alone. If you need that much privacy you're probably doing something you shouldn't be doing. And I don't mean whacking off."
are right on point. A parent has the responsibility to create a safe and loving environment for their children. I believe that this includes being aware of what your children are doing and being satisfied that what they are doing is personally and socially appropriate (no, I don't care if my 15 year old is jerking off, but I would be disturbed to find he was building pipe bombs while locked in his room).
By letting a child lock his room, you are surrendering your decision-making authority to them. With a few execptions, such as in BlueBongo's situation, children are not qualified to decide when to lock or not lock the door. In a healthy home, they should never have to.
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"Regret can be a harder pill to swallow than failure .With failure you at least know you gave it a chance..." David Howard
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