Do Curfew Laws In America Keep Teens Out Of Trouble?

Ceonna Simon

Mrs. Snyder

British Literature

4 May 2015

First Rough Draft

Does the curfew laws in America keep teens out of trouble? Youth curfews are logical in the sense that if juveniles are getting into trouble, they should be taken off the streets. Yet, there is a problem with this theory; curfew laws are not delivering in their job of decreasing the level of juvenile crime in America. A curfew law seems to be the go-to thing when an issue arises, but in actuality, a curfew provides a false comfort; it is not the best solution. Curfew laws have increased since the 1990s, but curfew laws still do not keep teens out of trouble, nor are they politically correct.

Curfew law is a more recently immerged policy enforced by the government in

Parental curfews given to teens were intended to help teach them responsibility and build trust between the guardian and child. “Bottom line: Curfews are about safety, self-control, time management, and feeling fresh for the next day; set clear expectations and consequences and stick to them, but be flexible if he/she demonstrates responsibility” (Staying Out Late and Curfews). Once the government decided to make curfew a law, it caused problems with not only the teenagers, but the parents as well. “In Indiana, there was a case that it was thought that curfew law infringes on parental rights to direct care, custody, and control of their children” (Hudson 17). The government has established three types of curfew laws: business curfew, emergency curfew, and juvenile curfew (What are Curfew Laws). These laws vary from state to state, but they all have the same general agenda – to stay off of the streets after

“There's [sic] only one problem with youth curfews: They don't [sic] work. And we [sic] shouldn't [sic] kid ourselves that they do” (Curfews don't keep kids out of trouble). Studies are showing that nationwide, more than 80 percent of youth crime offenses take place between the times of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. which is outside the times of most curfews (Curfews don't keep kids out of trouble). “In a close study of Monrovia, Calif., in the 1990s, for example, sociologist Michael Males found that juvenile arrests for non-curfew crimes increased 53 percent during the school months when the town's curfew was enforced. In July and August, when the curfew was not enforced, non-curfew youth crime went down 12 percent” (Curfews don't keep kids out of trouble). Curfews were ultimately designed to get teens off the streets and reduce the juvenile crime rate after dark, but the issue that is causing youth crime has never been addressed at the root. Teenagers should be active and involved in various activities. Perhaps the solution to the problem is not to set a curfew law, but to increase the nighttime life by creating more things for teenagers to do at