Youth curfews are popular among Americans, as shown in numerous polls. These laws restrict teenagers’ activities during certain hours of the day and night, which seems logical to many people. After all, if youngsters are getting into trouble, it makes sense to get them off the streets. However, there is one major problem with youth curfews: they simply don’t work. We shouldn’t deceive ourselves into thinking otherwise.
In Philadelphia, Mayor Nutter recently extended a 9 p.m. curfew on Friday and Saturday nights for all unaccompanied minors in Center City and University City. Despite this effort to control teenage behavior through a curfew law, evidence suggests that such laws are ineffective.
The measure was implemented following a series of violent flash-mob incidents during the summer, which have since subsided. However, it is important to note that the city had already established a youth curfew prior to these events. On weekdays, children under 13 must be home by 9 p.m. and children between 13 and 17 must be home by 10:30 p.m. On weekends, everyone must be home by midnight. Despite this curfew being in place for some time now, it has not been effective in reducing youth violence in Philadelphia. In fact, it is possible that the downtown curfew has only displaced crime from one part of the city or time of day to another.
In 1976, Detroit adopted a youth curfew which resulted in a 6 percent decrease in juvenile crime during the curfew hours. However, there was an increase of 13 percent in midafternoon. It is important to note that more than 80 percent of juvenile offenses occur between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., which is outside most curfews. Furthermore, there is no concrete evidence that youth curfews reduce the overall rate of juvenile crime. For instance, sociologist Michael Males conducted a thorough study on Monrovia, Calif., during the 1990s and discovered that juvenile arrests for non-curfew crimes increased by as much as 53 percent when the town enforced its curfew during school months.
In July and August, when the curfew was not enforced, non-curfew youth crime decreased by 12 percent. However, why are we so attached to youth curfews? The answer has less to do with youth and more to do with adults. Whenever we become concerned that young people are out of control, we implement a curfew. This makes us feel better, even if it does not reduce crime rates. Youth curfews date back to the late 19th century when America’s cities were filled with millions of unsupervised teenagers. Like laws mandating school attendance and prohibiting child labor, the argument was that curfews would improve individual lives while also protecting social order.
President Benjamin Harrison referred to curfews as the most important municipal regulation for the protection of children in American homes from the vices of the street.” By 1900, 3,000 municipalities had implemented curfews. The next wave of curfews occurred during Prohibition in the 1920s, when speakeasies and gang violence sparked new anxieties about American youth. Although juvenile crime decreased during this decade, it made for good press and led to new curfew laws in several cities.
An editorial writer in Chicago endorsed the city’s 1921 curfew stating that “the street corners and vacant lots of the city are the kindergartens of a school of crime. The primary and intermediate classes meet in vicious poolrooms. Cabarets and tough saloons are offering advanced lessons, and post-graduate instruction is available in jails and penitentiaries.”
The juvenile delinquency scare of the 1950s resulted in another wave of youth curfews. By 1957, half of American cities with populations over 100,000 had implemented juvenile-curfew laws. However, the greatest increase in curfews occurred during early 1990s amid a sharp rise in youth crime.
Between 1988 and 1992, the number of criminal offenses committed by juveniles increased by 26 percent. Even more concerning is the fact that youth crimes against persons – such as murder, rape, and assault – skyrocketed by 56 percent during this time period. As a result, curfews became increasingly popular. Between 1990 and 1995, over half of America’s largest cities (53 out of 200) enacted new curfew ordinances.
This effort received support from President Bill Clinton who signed a measure in 1996 allocating $75 million to help local governments implement curfews and other anti-crime measures. They help keep our children out of harm’s way,” Clinton declared. However, in reality, they do not.
To his credit, Mayor Nutter has instituted other measures to fight juvenile crime, including expanding the hours that recreation centers stay open. He has also skillfully used his bully pulpit by taking to the streets and airwaves to encourage parents to keep a closer watch on their children. More power to him, but not when it comes to curfews. They might be good politics, but they’re bad policy. Let’s hope the mayor can tell the difference.
It doesn’t matter what time of day it is; a teen will still be mischievous and commit crimes. Don’t you think that parents should take more responsibility for their teens’ actions? Or is a curfew really going to stop anybody? Curfew or no curfew, kids are going to do what they want to do. Telling them what time they have to be in the house is only going to make them want to stay out later.
The whole curfew thing could go both ways because some kids don’t care what time it is; they will come in whenever they want. And what about kids whose parents give them a one o’clock curfew? If their parents are okay with it, then what more can you do about it? I don’t think curfews keep people out of trouble.
People will do what they want and when they want to. Curfews don’t stop people. Bad things can happen during the day as well. So, curfews don’t affect anybody. I think that curfew somewhat helps teens stay out of trouble, but teens are always out on the streets doing whatever they want. Any time of the day a teen can cause harm, but curfews just try to decrease the harm teenagers can do at night. Either way, they’ll still do harm. A teen will be a teen; it doesn’t matter what time of day it is. A curfew may make things worse.
Rules are made to be broken.” Enforcing a curfew may cause a riot like Project X and be a terrible outcome. I think that it doesn’t matter what time it is or if you have a curfew or not; if I have to be in at a certain time, I most likely won’t come in at that time just because I may not want to . Teens are going to do what they want to do and giving them a curfew isn’t going to change anything . It depends on the way the parent approaches the situation.
Purpose: A curfew is designed to ensure your teen is home safely for the evening, including helping prevent teen delinquency and keeping teens out of trouble.
Curfews are meant to cut down on dangerous activities such as drinking and driving. They can also help teens get enough sleep, while still giving them independence and setting reasonable boundaries. It’s important to sit down with your teen and discuss an appropriate curfew. If they have a role in setting it, they’re more likely to stick to it.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, younger teens (ages 12-13) should be home between 7 and 8 p.m. on school nights. For teens ages 14-16, a curfew of 8 or 9 p.m. is appropriate. Teens who can drive should be home between 10 and 11 p.m. on school nights.
On weekends, it’s okay to allow your teen to stay out two hours later than their weekday curfew.
During adolescence, when boys and girls are getting their first taste of independence, curfew and bedtime are two negotiable household rules that parents can work together with their teens on establishing reasonable guidelines for staying out or staying up.
Consequences for disobeying curfew are not negotiable, except in unforeseen circumstances. To ensure that the punishment fits the crime, time will be deducted from future curfews depending on the severity of the infraction. For example, if your youngster is an hour late, they may have to come home an hour earlier than usual on their next outing with friends. If they are two hours past curfew, they will be confined to their home on a Friday or Saturday night. Long-term punishments such as grounding for a month are excessive and may do more harm than good.
Q: When setting a curfew, how do I know what’s reasonable and what’s not?
All of my son’s friends have to be home at different times, so it’s hard to base my decision on what other parents do.
A: You can start by consulting the following table, which gives parents general guidelines appropriate for each stage of adolescent development.
| Age | School Night | Non-School Night |
|---|---|---|
| 13 years old or younger | No later than 8 PM | No later than 9 PM |
| 14-15 years old | No later than 9 PM -10PM | No later than 10 PM-11PM |
| 16-17 years old | No later than 10 PM -11PM | No later than midnight -1AM |
| Exceptions can be made for special occasions. Parents should always know where their children are going and with whom they will be spending time. Communication is key! |
In the case of a fourteen-year-old boy, if he has school or other early morning commitments the next day, he really should be home no later than nine o’clock at night; if it’s a vacation day coming up, between ten o’clock P.M. and eleven o’clock P.M. is reasonable.
That’s your starting point. Now factor in the following:
- How mature and responsible is he overall? If you feel confident that he knows how to watch out for his own safety and you trust that he is where he tells you he will be, perhaps you can extend the curfew. Some kids may not need a curfew beyond a community or state law regulating when adolescents must be off the road.
- Does he usually comply with curfew? Again, his past behavior will influence how lenient or strict you are.
- What activity is he engaged in?
If he is playing basketball in the park, he should be home by sundown. However, if he is studying with a friend, he can stay out later.
When attending a baseball game, concert, school function or any other event, it is important to know what time it ends and how long it will take him to get home. This information will help you decide whether or not to allow him some extra time to grab a bite before heading home.
It’s also important to consider how much sleep your child needs. The average adolescent requires about nine hours of sleep per night; some may need more while others need less.
If your youn Do Curfew Keep Teens Out of Trouble” StudyMode. com. 02 2013. 2013. 02 2013 . gster is drowsy in the morning, you’ll want to move up his bedtime, and with it, his curfew. 6. Even with a curfew teens will do what they want to do. If that means sneaking out, lying or skipping school or etc. sneaking out gives a teen a thrill and like they are invincible. That just makes them more likely to do much more dangerous stuff. Also, having a curfew just adds stress on a teen, because they will freak out about running late and traffic causing them to be late.
If someone argues that children will be too scared to sneak out, wouldn’t they also be afraid to break an actual law? Does a curfew truly prevent teenagers from getting into trouble? Curfews provide teens with the opportunity to change their behavior. It works because they have less time outside to engage in activities such as vandalism, theft, drug use, smoking cigarettes, underage sex, and intimidating behavior towards the police. This is why many people believe that curfews are a good idea. However, giving your child a curfew does not guarantee that they will refrain from engaging in these activities.
While teenagers may not break curfew at night, they may still engage in delinquent behavior during the day or even skip school. Imposing a curfew does not necessarily reduce crime rates among young people. According to numerous articles by credible sources, including the National Center for Policy Analysis, the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, and the US Department of Justice, curfews do not effectively lower youth crime rates of any kind. Additionally, statistics show that young people are more likely to be arrested for breaking curfew than for any other offense.
All of this goes to show that curfews, in fact, have no effect. Teaching young teens to have morals and know what is right and wrong is greatly more effective than curfews. I’ve had my share of sneaking out and staying out way past the time my parents set for me. It’s only because if you say I can’t do something, I want to prove everyone wrong and say that I can do it, and you can’t stop me. A curfew is just a fence that can be climbed.
