Should teen curfew exist? No, curfews for teenagers should not exist because they make it difficult for teens varying on parenting, employment, and social life. Having a curfew does not keep teens safe and out of trouble. Not having a curfew establishes responsibility. It gives freedom to go out, but you are still accountable to tell your parents the truth about where you are at and what you are doing. Parents choose their children's curfew based on the child and their life.
Parents who enforce a curfew might be setting their teenagers up for failure. “Nick Navarro, former sheriff of Broward County, Florida, says that curfews could increase crime rather than decrease it because enforcing them could cause rebellion (29)”. This being said parents who give teen curfews may cause their teenagers to act out behind their backs. Parenting by no means is an easy job, but having trust in your child to make the right choices is part of it. Parents could use a tactic to trust their child until they give them a reason not to and only then should there be a curfew.
Teenagers who are employed in Georgia and many other states have to worry about a state curfew. Teens who have to abide by the 10 p.m. curfew can not work their jobs late in the evening. “A bill that would prohibit 16-year-olds from driving after 10 p.m., which has raised fears of staffing hardships or even forced early closings (Hayes 3).” This law forces teens to break their curfew and have a chance of getting into trouble with the police. Teenagers that need money to pay bills, or help their families should not have to worry about breaking a state curfew when all they are doing is coming home from their late night shift.
Teenagers also need a social life and the freedom to go out and figure themselves out. “Children are assumed to be acting anti-socially just because they're under 16 and therefore there's no real presumption of innocence. The police have ample powers to deal with anti-social behavior (Gask 9)”. Gask describes teens to be bad news because of their age, but in reality, if given the freedom to not have a curfew they would not be sneaking out and lying to their parents. Curfews are useless unless needed for special circumstances such as juvenile delinquents or grounded teens. Presumably, teenagers who do not have curfews get in less trouble than those that do.
Yes, some might say having a curfew is beneficial. “Curfews also protect teenagers. “I think teen curfews could be useful for teenagers whose parents do not care as much as those of others, because at least they will have a guideline for safety (Tashman 8)”. Many people believe this, but how are teenagers supposed to become responsible without being able to make decisions for themselves? Teenagers are not going to listen to their parents if they have a curfew. They might have the idea to sneak out and get in more trouble than just simply asking their parents to go somewhere without a curfew. Curfews do not keep teenagers safe and out of trouble. They bombard teens' lives.
Work Cited
- Hayes, Jack. “Ga. Curfew Bill Could Spell Staffing Woes for Employers of Teenagers.” Nation’s Restaurant News, vol. 35, no. 8, Feb. 2001, p. 4. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=fth&AN=4120294&site=eds-live&scope=site.
- Wilks, Andrew. “Night-Time Curfews Breach Teenager’s Rights, Say Lawyers.” Mail on Sunday, 19 Sept. 2004, p. 47. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=n5h&AN=14452859&site=eds-live&scope=site.
- “Should Teenagers Have Curfews?” Junior Scholastic, vol. 100, no. 13, Feb. 1998, p. 14. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=edo&AN=303718&site=eds-live&scope=site.
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Informative Essay about Curfew.
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