Teens Overrun Malls

It’s Friday night, and teenagers are gathering… both
inside, and outside the mall.

“We want time to hang with our friends and go out and be
away from the older group,” says 15-year-old Semhar Tewelde.

According to the International Council of Shopping Centers… malls
in at least 10 states have either imposed weekend curfews on teens,
or rules that no more than four teens can gather together unless
accompanied by an adult. Many mall operators say it’s not
because of any specific incidents or crimes committed, but a an
impression the packs of teens create with adult shoppers.

“That certain categories of people, young people… members
of certain minority groups are not to be trusted or are a threat
to you,” says Robert Agnew, Ph.D., a Professor of Sociology
at Emory University in Atlanta and a Specialist in Juvenile Delinquency.

“We get rowdy, it’s true, but I’ve seen plenty
of older people get rowdy too,” says 16-year-old Jarrett
Stieber.

“Yeah, there’s a lot worse things to do than hang
around the mall with your friends and having fun,” says 18-year-old
Johnathan Jeffries.

And experts say what many adults may not realize, is that teen
crime rates have been declining since the mid 1990’s.

“Crime is on the decline,” says Dr. Agnew, “And
that while teenagers are more involved in crime than juveniles
and adults, their crime for the most part is relatively minor in
nature and most of them grow out of it as then enter adulthood.”

Many teenagers may be forgetting a mandatory requirement when going
to the mall – their parent. Malls in 10 states have passed ordinances
stating that teenagers must be accompanied by a parent when visiting their
establishment, and others are considering following suit. Mall operators
are worried that packs of teenagers may be scaring off other potential consumers.
Consider the following statistics gathered by Weekly Reader Corporation and
the Gale Group concerning teen mall traffic:

• According to the market research group Teenage Research Unlimited
  (TRU), 68 percent of teens ages 12 to 19 spend time at the mall
  in any given week. On average, teens spend three-and-a-half hours
  at the mall each week. TRU also reports that teens spent about
  $175 billion in 2003. The average teen spent about $103 per week.
• In 1996, The Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minn., was the
  one of the first malls to enact a teen escort policy. The mall,
  the largest in the country, requires teens 15 or younger to be
  accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years or older after 6 p.m.
  on Friday and Saturday nights. One adult can escort up to 10 kids.
  A 30-member team of paid parents called “Mighty Moms” and “Dedicated
  Dads” enforce the policy.
• According to The Detroit News, sales at Eastland Mall
  have gone up 29 percent since the teen curfew went into effect
  on June 1.
• First Amendment guarantees, such as freedom of speech and the
  right to peacefully assemble, generally apply only to public property,
  not to private property, such as shopping malls. However, lawmakers
  in many states believe that malls now occupy the spaces where downtown
  and town centers used to be and should therefore be considered
  quasi-public spaces.

Some experts believe that many parents use the
mall as a “baby-sitter” for their teenager, somewhere to keep
them occupied so their parent doesn’t have to watch over them. But
research shows that teenagers really want to spend quality time with their
parents, even though they may not outwardly show it. Gwen Morrison, an
author and mother of four, says there are many things parents can do with
their teenager instead of letting him/her hang out at the mall with friends
every weekend. Consider the following:

• Take them with you for a drive. If they are ready to drive,
  go somewhere and practice with them. If you are driving, this is
  a great time to open up a conversation.
• Take your teen to a movie that they want to see.
• Go for coffee (or tea) once a week – even for just 30
  minutes. This is a great opportunity to find out what is going
  on with their life.
• Have them help you with a home project: Re-papering the bath
  or painting the kitchen. Teens really do love to help. It makes
  them feel like you trust them.
• Cook with your teenager. This is a great way to share a meal
  and teach them to cook. It can be a lot of fun, too.
• Go to a concert or sporting event with your teen.
• Take your teen to work for the day.
• Pitch a tent in the backyard and escape the rest of the family
  for a night.
• Go for a nature walk or a hike. Pack a lunch, a radio and a
  sense of adventure.
• Make one day per month “all about them” day. Let them
  choose their favorite meal and activity for the day.
• Rent movies and stay up late.
• Go to the music store with them. Let them show you what kind
  of music they like. (Be interested, even if you don’t like it!)
• Spend a Saturday morning at the flea market or garage sales.
  Give them a few bucks and dare them to find the best bargain.
• Volunteer with your teenager.
• Plan a monthly “family night” where
  you play board games, cards or just hang out and watch movies together.