Facts About Teenagers Curfews

Many people support imposing a curfew for teenagers, believing that this will create a reduction in juvenile crime and victimization. Others feel that it is a violation of teenagers’ civil rights to impose a curfew.

Community Curfews

There was a curfew study done in 347 communities with populations of at least 30,000 people in 1997. 80% of the communities imposed a nighttime curfew on teenagers, and 26% also implemented a daytime curfew. These curfews were put into place to deter crime, reduce juvenile victimization, increase parental involvement, and to allow police officers the ability to stop people involved in suspicious activity. Of the 72 cities that have daytime curfews, all showed a drop in truancy and daytime burglaries.

Curfew as a Successful Measure in Crime Prevention

Communities that have experienced success in implementing a curfew for teenagers have many common elements. These communities offer one or more of these resources to support teens and their parents in creating a safe community:

• Curfew centers staffed with trained volunteers and social service professionals

• Intervention programs and referrals to counselors for teens and their parents

• Protocols for repeat curfew violators such as fines and community service

• Community recreation and job programs

• Anti-drug and anti-gang programs

• Help hotlines and follow-up services

There is more to effectively fighting juvenile crime than just arresting kids and fining their parents. Community involvement is the key to solving this issue. A curfew will only act as a tool to identify a problem; laws and law enforcement are not the only solutions.

The Argument Against Teen Curfew Laws

There is no Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of teenage curfew laws. Opponents of these types of laws believe that they are a violation of the first, fourth, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments to the constitution.

The First Amendment protects the right to free speech, religion, and right to peaceful assembly. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure and being detained without definitive reason. The Fifth Amendment guarantees the right to due process, while the Ninth Amendment is often interpreted as the right to privacy and family autonomy. The 14th Amendment protects persons from being detained without due process, and the right to travel. These constitutional rights are often cited as the reason for fighting a curfew violation in court.

There is no definitive research on the effectiveness of imposing teen curfews. Many studies have been done, but none can provide the controlled environment needed to provide empirical evidence to prove a positive effect on crime rates.

Community Solutions

In a world where random violence seems to be escalating, it is natural to want to find solutions to crime problems. As the adults that are responsible for the teen victims and perpetrators seen on the evening news, it is incumbent upon us to find ways to protect them.

One of the most important facts about teenagers' curfews is that imposing laws merely to create a punitive consequence has not been found to be an effective solution to juvenile crime and victimization. Working together as a community to create an atmosphere of respect and success is a proven way to curb the violence that concerns parents, community leaders, and teenagers.

Communities with low juvenile crime rates share many common traits:

• Positive adult leadership in schools and community programs
• Recreational and educational resources and programs for youth
• Access to counseling and social service programs
• Communication between law enforcement, schools, parents, social services, and teens

Resources for Facts About Teenagers' Curfews

There is a huge amount of information on the web regarding the issue of teenage curfew laws. You may wish to research both sides of the issue before voting on a curfew law, or before you argue your position at the next city council meeting.

Detailed information about teenage curfews can be found in a Juvenile Justice Bulletin written by Shay Bilchick. It is entitled Curfew: An Answer to Juvenile Delinquency and Victimization?

There are many articles and studies available on the topic of juvenile crime and other social issues on the National Center for Policy Analysis website.

The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice website offers some very informative publications about curfew laws and other judicial issues that effect teens.