Teenage Curfews

I heard on the radio that there's discussion of a teenage curfew. Children under the age of sixteen will have a ten o'clock curfew enforced by the government.

What do you think of this? Do you think this should be up to the parent's to decide? Or do you think this ten o'clock curfew will help keep our children safer?

Opinions please!

ten is rather early, I'd say midnight is better. I think it's a good idea. The only reason a kid that age would be out at that hour is to cause trouble.

I agree with it, but I would hate to be a parent and break the news to my kid.

There used to be a curfew were I live. It was at first 10 o'clock on school nights and midnight on non-school nights for 16 and under, and 11 o'clock on school nights and 1 o'clock on non-school nights for 17 year olds. No one followed it, and few police enforced it.
Me and my friends broke that curfew several times. I agree with a curfew on school nights, but not on non-school nights.

The only reason a kid that age would be out at that hour is to cause trouble.

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We never caused any....serious trouble. If we wasn't bowling or shooting pool, we was just roaming the streets aimlessly until we got back to someones house to play video games.

Heh, my town has a curfew of 11 pm if your under 16, which is ridiculous. I remember two years ago, about a month before my 16th birthday, it happened to be a report card day. So of course I had a bad report card, and since my mom is a teacher thats "frowned" upon, so I decided to go for a walk at about 10:30 to think of an excuse or reason or something, and I was walking about 2 blocks from my house at 11:05!! when a police sergeant pulled me over, and gave a me a ticket for violating curfew. I was brought hom ein the back of the cruiser, my mom was issued a 25$ or so ticket, and I was given a date to go juvenile diversion court. Even the probation officer in charge of my diversion was surprised I got in trouble for being out 5 minutes past curfew, especially when I lived in the area, and had nothing suspicous in my pockets or anything.(was searched twice), and since the curfew policy wasnt well known, still isnt in fact. So I get 3 hours of community service, which I dont think I have done yet..and I dont plan on it to be honest. That was my first lovely incident with cops, I have had a problem with the cops since that time on, honestly doesnt a police sergeant have anything better to do than pick up a 15 year old 5 minutes past curfew, and not even give them a warning, just straight out ticket-court date? Anyways, I think a curfew is a good idea, but not at 10,thats just ridiculous. I would say a midnight curfew would be better.With a fairly leniet enforcement, if you come across kids drinking or with drugs, or slim-jims etc then sure punish them. But if theyre walking in their neighborhood just drop them at their house with a warning about curfew!!

Curfew here was much like Luke Wolf's description. At least it was when I was in school. I have no idea about now though...whether there is a curfew or not. Been a while for me to really have it affect me... I won't say how long it hasn't.

Introducing a curfew will just give teenagers another law to break in their "rebellion".

Although it should be introduced.

I hate curfews.

This is just one more of those things where they make something illegal that does no harm in an effort to cut down on things that do, but people still manage to do those things, so really, all that happens is another little bit of our freedom is taken away. :banghead3

There should'nt be any need for curfews, if the kids were brought up properly. The trouble is, as Malus said, is that any parental 'dictate' is seen as something to fight by teenagers.


I must admit we had a real problem with our older son; he would come in at 3 a.m (this was when he was 18 admittedly. The worst of it was that my wife couldn't go to sleep until she heard him coming in - she is the sort of Mum who will worry about everything though.

Having said that, I remember being at home (when I was twenty) and being told exactly the same thing by my parents.

When it comes down to it, I think the important thing is to bring up the child to feel a sense of understanding about parental worry, and get him/her to try and compromise, and be understanding.

ten is rather early, I'd say midnight is better. I think it's a good idea. The only reason a kid that age would be out at that hour is to cause trouble.

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lol. I'll remember that the reason I spent the night in town on the 14th of November 2003 is because I was out to cause trouble.

Pussyfoot Mouse said:

I heard on the radio that there's discussion of a teenage curfew.

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What were the issues that were disscussed? What are the general reasons and goals of curfews that are given? I am asking because I have no idea.

One method they use is to play classical music, so that the kids don't wanna hang around listening to Beethoven all night LOL

Luke Wolf said:

We never caused any....serious trouble. If we wasn't bowling or shooting pool, we was just roaming the streets aimlessly until we got back to someones house to play video games.

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So . . . you were either: Inside playing pool; Inside bowling; Inside playing video games; or Outside causing minor troubles . . .

robtex said:

What were the issues that were disscussed? What are the general reasons and goals of curfews that are given? I am asking because I have no idea.

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Unfortunately, I only heard the end of the new report, but I will keep you posted with any updates.

IMO the real question here is NOT if curfews for teens are a good idea or not but rather if the local government should impose them by law.

In my view, when the government decides it should start intervening in the child rearing process, telling us how we should raise our kids, we will have greater things to worry about than should the curfew be 10pm or midnight!

In my view, when the government decides it should start intervening in the child rearing process, telling us how we should raise our kids, we will have greater things to worry about than should the curfew be 10pm or midnight!

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A curfew really isn't the government telling parents how to raise your kids. Even though it's supposedly for protection against deliquent teens, I feel its more to satisfy government greed and get people like Apotheosis in trouble. 5 minutes and only a couple blocks from home shouldn't have been enough to have anything more than a lecture and a ride home.

We already have town laws like that where I live.
Mostly in-town though.
But do we take it seriously?
Nope.
I have a driving curfew right now of 10
but
if I'm at party and someone is wasted I risk breaking "curfew" rather then risk them wrapping themself around a pole.

Like Malus said though,
if you make it a rule
it only makes us want to break it more

So . . . you were either: Inside playing pool; Inside bowling; Inside playing video games; or Outside causing minor troubles . . .

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That isn't what a curfew is. A curfew would mean that teenagers would have to return to their houses not just go inside a random building.

Fluffy said:

That isn't what a curfew is. A curfew would mean that teenagers would have to return to their houses not just go inside a random building.

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Perhaps in some places, yes. But when the "random building" is a private residence, they can't very well go into the residence to search for people who may be under 16 and not in their very own home.

Perhaps in some places, yes. But when the "random building" is a private residence, they can't very well go into the residence to search for people who may be under 16 and not in their very own home.

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Yes thats true. So in other words, the law is stupid because it isn't fairly enforceable?

What strikes me about this thread is that people have immediatly assumed that this curfew was designed to prevent teenagers from causing trouble. Of course it couldn't be to protect those nasty teenagers from the poor innocent adult criminals...