Curfews for teenagers at shopping malls.

@kgwat70 (13388)
United States
July 29, 2007 11:32am CST
Do you feel that unattended teenagers should be given curfews at shopping malls? Would you let your teenager go to the mall unattended? We had a rampage at one of our local malls this past friday night involving 1000 teenagers that got into fist fights, food fights and abusive language in the food court area. None of them were accompanied by parents. They were all in groups. What would you do if your teenager got involved in this type of activity in a public place like that? The mall closed early for fear of the other customers safety. It was chaos there and they are thinking about passing a curfew law to prevent this from happening again. It had to be scary for parents with young children there. Some of these teenagers could have been carrying deadly weapons.
5 people like this
15 responses
@raychill (6525)
• United States
30 Jul 07
Uh... I used to go to the mall all the time as a teenager. It's been at least 10 years since I've been one of those mall teenagers and I usually avoid the mall these days. Anyhow, the mall ... at least around here is only open till 9:30 as it is. It's not like it's open till all hours of the evening and we don't even have movie theaters in malls anymore. That's about the only thing you can usually do late at malls anyhow...go see a movie. If movie theaters card people, most theaters around me only show rated r type movies the later it gets and you have to be at least 17 to go to them anyways... plus theaters get more money for people going to see them on fridays and saturdays. So basically I think it'd be fairly stupid to say "no unaccompanied teenagers after 6pm" or something because a/ when you were a teenager...before you can drive, where did you go on dates? What do you have to do besides hanging out around your own house when youre a pre-driving teen? You have the mall! it's the only place besides school where you don't have your parents around. at school you still have teachers. Teens need their time away from their parents. They need somewhere to go on "dates". that's just silly. As for fighting, whether the teens are there at 2pm or 8pm ... they can fight... time prevention isn't going to stop fighting. kids fight in school. that's daytime. that's accompanied by teachers. that's risk of suspension and expulsion. how would a time limitation of unattended teens help fighting and such? I, personally, just think it would be a pointless and stupid idea.
3 people like this
@mrsbrian (1949)
• United States
29 Jul 07
makes me wonder where were the parents of that many teenagers allowing there kids to run around at the malls not right. When my kids were old enough to drive and needed to go to the mall they were instructed to go there get what they wanted and get home, I do see a lot of teens hanging out at the malls doing nothing i mean they certinly are not shopping I agree curfews are good rules and maby not allow teens unattended at all, if they cant behave in public than they need to be only allowed in with parents.
2 people like this
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
29 Jul 07
i am sure the parents are telling their kid about it right now or after they heard about what happened. Malls should not be allowed to be hangout spots for teenagers. If they are not there to shop, they should be sent home. Hope they do pass a curfew law to keep the mall safe for people that do want to shop and the people that work there. I avoid going to the malls at night because of so many kids hanging out there.
@KrauseHome (36449)
• United States
1 Aug 07
Things like this unfortunately are happening anywhere you go. That is part of the reason it is Good as a parent if you are proactive, and get involved with your Child and meet their friends, and such so you know where they are going when they hang out with some of them. The biggest issue I am seeing is there is no Parents around anymore to control kids, and from what I see around in Seattle, is that a lot of them might be over 18 and moved out as well so they think they are old enough to be in control not caring what kind of trouble they might cause. A lot of our Malls have better Security now and try and break up large crowds due to some Shootings and Gang activities recently. They now call the Cops in if they cannot break up larger groups as well. But they have not considered a Curfew as they feel it could be too hard to do as a lot of them could be over 18.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I am in favor of teens with out parents or adults being banned from the malls. In fact where I live they do have a curfew unless accompanied by an adult. They started this a while back because some of the teens were starting to become unruly. It is inconvient for some parents but that can’t be helped. This is a big problem because the teens don’t really have a place of their own to hang out at that is safe and supervised.
@sunshinecup (7871)
29 Jul 07
I would ground the fire out of my teens if they ever acted like that. I think the malls would be correct in protecting their business and their customers by creating a curfew. That's my opinion anyways.
2 people like this
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I too would ground my teenager, if I had one, if they participated in activity like that. I agree the mall did the right thing in closing the mall down to protect the customers and workers there as well as the businesses. It could have gotten worse if they allowed the mall to stay open.
@stella1989 (2274)
• India
30 Jul 07
NO, according to me I don't think its good in banning the teenagers to the malls..! I am c'mon these are the most visited palce by the teenagers..!! Infact PARENTS need to look after their children activites in there life. They should know where there child is going rather than just banning every thing up in his life..!! And if still the situation is uncontrolled one can always use cops for handleing these situations in public areas..!! See if one love indulging in fights then he can get in fights anywhere he want he don't exactly needs that mall to have a fight..he can have it in a park, in school or any where..!! Now you will be saying we must bann them from even getting out of the HOUSE..!! Thats not possible..!! :)
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Yes there should be a curfew for teenagers at malls, specially Friday and Saturday nights. The mall should also provide extra security on those nights when it is known that teens will be hanging out.
1 person likes this
@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
6 Aug 07
When they act like that, I think a curfew should be in order. I hope by the time my daughter gets to be a teenager she would know what not to do and what she's suppose to do without peer pressure or just being plain stupid.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
30 Jul 07
It is definitely a good idea. Teenagers today are getting involve or even start this violence. They may be just having fun, or pointing somebody who started it but the fact that they did not avoid or walk away from it made it clear that these young adults are leading into the path of violence. Curfew can minimize these event, but putting up security that can check bags and search each individual for weapons and prohibited substances can even decrease or eradicated such event in the mall unless it is started by a terrorist. Here in malls in our area, you cannot believe that you might think that you are entering a highly secured area. Each gate of the mall has securities, male and female, that search individuals pockets and sides, their bag and baggage that comes in the malls...
1 person likes this
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I can't even imagine 1000 unsupervised teenagers at a mall at the same time. If I saw all of them roaming around in groups, I think I would have given them a wide berth or gone home.
1 person likes this
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I find it absolutely odd that teens hang in malls in the first place! The mall is for people to shop and the shoppers should not have to worry about their safety. If a group of teens wants to get together and socialize, what ever happened to socializing at one or the other's homes? Of course, you can't 'be seen' if you do that right? I am most definitely in favor of curfews for teens in malls. In fact, I am in favor of a 'no loitering' law for teens in malls too!!!
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Jul 07
I have always thought that they should have a curfew,even when I was a teen. People should be able to go to the mall without a bunch of teens acting like ignoramuses.I feel sorry for any kids that happened to be around. WHat is wrong with their parents letting them go unattended?I don't know why parents insist on letting kids go unattended to the mall
2 people like this
• Philippines
30 Jul 07
I think they should have curfews, to avoid them to do crimes while their young. Their parents are the ones to blame if they can be of harm. Here at our place there is so many like that, groups of young guyys waiting for their enemy outside their enemy's school. It looks very dangerous to the much younger ones.
• Philippines
30 Jul 07
I wouldnt reccomend curfew but i would reccomend every guard carrying a tear gas canister launcher and a back up ready-to shoot armalite
1 person likes this
@bowtieguy (5915)
• United States
27 Aug 07
I believe that if the teenager is able to get to the mall or shopping place themselfs then they should be aloud to stay as long as anyone else can, as long as they are not causing any trouble.