Curfew for certain age groups.

I'm beginning to believe in this, now days you see kids hanging around on the streets till eleven or even passed that. (Not that I'd know. )

Seriously though, the recent hike in criminality is in my opinion due to the fact of the youth just hanging around on the streets. More & more will you see a group of young males, or for that matter even a few females just standing on a street corner smoking a joint (in Holland), being loud & obnoxious and quite disrespectful to their fellow city members and more importantly very disrespectful to their surroundings. They spit on the walls, they spray paint them with shit, they are loud (noisey) and the thing that irritates me the most is that no one seems to care about it. Even if they do, they are too scared to actually do something about it.

A lot of times I'll also see young teens (maximum of 13 to 14) out passed 11 on the streets. What exactly is a thirteen year old (probably still virgin) young lady doing on the streets? What business does she have to be on the streets? Don't her parents object to this kind of behaviour? Do parents of today just not give a rats ass anymore? Do they have this feeling of ah, everyones kid is out till that time so why be a bully and not let my kid be out till that late?

I think that society is to blame (then again, I blame everything on society), I think they are to blame due to this equal treatment thing. I could be way off track here, but I don't think that the concept of equal treatment is crystal clear as yet. I think a lot of parents have the idea that if boys can be out till a certain time, I shouldn't treat my daughter in another fashion. Back when my sisters used to go out, they had curfews and my parents had to know where they were & with who they were there. You came home with the same people you left the house with.

Let's not kid ourselves, there are a lot sick minds in this world (anyone even dare mention Jackal in the same sentance as this one and I'll...I'll crush your left nut with a spatula), people like Coolmac do roam the streets me & you reside upon. Every day a parent let's their child be on the streets till a certain time, they are putting their child in jeapordy.

Another thing is the group mentality, youth of today seem to think that doing the opposite of what is good, to be the greatest thing ever. The more you stress not to do something, the more they want to do it. If there is one or two people such as this in a group of kids, and they decide to do something that is not in accordance with what we consider "normal", the majority of the group decides to participate aswell due to peer pressure. The importance placed on being cool is at unknown heights in this day and age, atleast that's what I think.

One factor could also be the long working hours that are bestowed upon the "grown ups". A lot of families have moms & dads working full time jobs. This leads to kids becoming latch-key kids. It started in the 90's with the equal rights movement and workspace discrimination of women going down etc. Now that men & women are both equal and both are capable of getting good jobs that provide well, the kids are left to taking care of themselves and at times their siblings.

In the 90's kids would stay home, play sports, watch tv etc. Now days kids surf for porn (back when I was young, it was quite difficult to obtain nude photo's of females, my only access was my uncle's porn magazine collection) now days any 10 year old can type "naked" on Google and you've got yourself a full female body for you to explore. This leads to curiosity at a much younger age, at a much younger age kids are willing to explore the world. They venture out in hopes of finding excitement, a thirteen year old who is in charge of taking care of his/her eleven year old sibling is forced to take them along, given they can't leave them home alone.

Anyways, that's enough from me, do you guys feel that there should be a time curfew as to how late kids are allowed to stay out? That after a certain time children should just be at home? Let me have it kids.

Absofuckinglutely. If there's one thing I hate in the World, it's anyone under the age of 18. I absolutely despise walking around the streets while dickheads driving around the streets hang out the car windows and yell at people because for some reason being out late at night is extreme and makes them amazingly cool. Then there's the groups, 15/16 year olds in groups of 10 wearing their dodgy fade jeans and a 3rd World Country's worth of hair gel thinking they're God's amongst men... only they're not men, because they're still 15.

great post jackal. and i agree as well that a curfew should be imposed; albeit maybe to kids that are under the age of 17. i really do not see what kids have to do at three or four in the morning. where i live, the majority of kids that stay out late are wannabe gangbangers. they hang around with their posse in their big puffy black jackets roaming around the streets thinking they're tough shit behind the 5'0 100 lb. frame that they possess. i know this isn't necessarily trouble, but it's an invitation to trouble. they're pretty much doing the sam cassell testicle walk, waiting for someone to pick on just to kick their ass

I'm 17 Jae.

Usually around Bay (Glenelg) is where most of the scummy action takes place in SA. That place is feral espescially at night,
parents including mine just don't give a shit if their kids get high, get smashed and fuck all night.

At an average Adelaide party, practically everyone apart from the random 1 or 2 will smoke and everyone will drink, most of these kids started smoking when they were 13.

Even at a pool hall they let minors have a cigarette. Im a yes for curfew for under 17 or 18.

we have that here

Usually around Bay (Glenelg) is where most of the scummy action takes place in SA. That place is feral espescially at night,

Tell me about it. I randomly feel like Pepsi during the night so I go out into Jetty Road looking for open shops, I've seen like 15 fights since I've been here. I always kind of hope one of them will start on me because I'd get a kick out of bashing some kid and throwing him in front of the tram, but alas

Playing devil's advocate for the moment, imposing a curfew for all members of an age group is essentially the law stepping in for ineffective parents and punishing an entire group for the actions of a few bad apples.

That said, 13 and 14 year olds don't have any business wandering the streets and hanging around outside clubs in the small hours of the morning. I don't see it as much of it as I used to here in Newcastle, at worst it seems to be mostly 17 year olds at the youngest down around the beach in a slow parade of showing off their cars (many of them bought and done up with parents' money) or just doing "laps" of the CBD and club scenes.

To that end, if they were to introduce a curfew in Australia I'd make it apply to anyone under 17. The legal age to buy alcohol and cigarettes or get into a club here is 18 and since it's possible to have graduated high school and be at university at the age of 17, I think that's a fair limit.

Tell me about it. I randomly feel like Pepsi during the night so I go out into Jetty Road looking for open shops, I've seen like 15 fights since I've been here. I always kind of hope one of them will start on me because I'd get a kick out of bashing some kid and throwing him in front of the tram, but alas

Have you been to Chalkers, the pool hall?

This 24 year old wigga started on my friend and was threatening to hit him with the pool stick, my friend right hooked him and said "Boom! Headshot!" funniest shit evah.

Theres shitloads of fucktards at the bay, every second person is a fuckwit. The McDonald's near The Grand is the shiznit though.

Damn straight it is, they do awesome thick shakes the clubs just up from The Grand are complete hell holes, last week some guy was trying to push another guy in front of the tram because he looked at his girlfriend it's a strange place. Maybe they should all go swimming.

No curfews just feed the flame. People like things that are taboo even more because they are taboo. Even if it were a law - do you really think you can get the kids who are already breaking curfew consistentally to stop? Hell no. Not to mention are there even enough police? And what do you when you find the people who still break curfew? fine them? Won't hurt the rich ones, and the poor ones will become whores.

that said, if you don't do anything and you care - aren't you just whining? arent you just the guy perpetuating the problem by ignoring it? yes. so what you do is buy a gun....

kidding.

don't know what the answer is. But as people what can we do, but reinforce our beliefs through the people we know and ourselves.

I personally have chosen a profession that potentially affects culture. I choose to express my opinion and feelings through it, and hopes it influences other. In my experience telling or forcing people to do things never works. Most of us have too much pride. But if you can show the why maybe you have a chance.

I don't have to deal with this problem... there really aren't any teen hangouts here outside of the one large gas station (its one of the ones with a Subway inside). I agree though, it is definetly society's problem and specifically the parents are to blame. I wonder why some parents don't care...

The solution is to castrate any/all who are out after 11pm.

nice topics Jackal

I wholeheartedly agree with most of what everyone has said....to lead on from what Jackal mentioned about the equal rights movements, due to this happening, the greater majority of families need to have 2 full-time incomes coming in to survive, and sometimes that means shift-work or whatever....there is no time for people to look after these kids....they really do need role models, like older brothers or siblings looking out for them....the only problem is that (this is tied to the education-success thread) these older sibling now have to go to uni/college and work a casual/part-time job (10-30 hours per week) to survive themselves, so they don't have the time to look after them either....

I'd be all for some sort of curfews, as like Jae, it bloody annoys me seeing these stragglers with nothing else to do....it would be alright if they were on a bball court or playing computer games at someone's place, but they're not, they're just loitering....

I'm keen to hear other people's thoughts

nice idea, but will never hapen, all the goverments are too busy with other stuff to worry about this, also i think they should be allowed to if they have an adult with them

I agree with this, one of my former friends and his skate crew go around at like 2am in the morning on a school night, roaming the streets and making all sorts of trouble. And I'm like, "What's the point?"

I have a curfew, sort of, I'm not allowed on the streets when its dark, so like 7pm I have to be home if I'm with some friends on the weekend. I don't like sleepovers

Really agree with you, I'm sick of groups of people mostly full on male groups driving in their modified cars with their windows down and some crappy 50 cent song playing at full volume and them screaming at people on the road for no real reason. You sometimes cannot help but feel threatened when walking in the night even to get a bottle of milk from the store with groups of teens or even adolescents hanging around the corner and them staring at you and almost looking to somehow pick a fight with you.

Plus whats even worse is breakoffs and less hardcore skinhead groups also driving around in the night and screaming out "Nigger" at any person of colored skin, you never know when that car could stop and they might come after you and the cops seem to totally ignore them and focus more on the black and mexican gangs. Their should definitely be a curfew for teens without a doubt and even 18-20 year olds in certain areas should have a curfew imposed on them because its simply just not safe these days for a guy and girl to walk alone on the street in some areas or even two guys or 5-6 girls because of certain groups of morons that try and fuck things up for everyone else.

I hate it just as much as you guys, which is why we need to support our local police department!

I don't curfews will really help the problem at all. The last things these kinds need is further justification for their actions, and creating curfews will further promote a rebellious tone and promote to a larger audience the so-called 'coolness' of hanging around the streets at midnight. I think the parents need to be more accountable, while this seems idealistic and problematic, it is necessary that these juveniles realise that there actions are negative for their futures and create further social problems which spawn a downward spiral of issues. While not all kids who are out on the streets during the night going crazy turn into problems, I mean who hasn't gone through a phase of doing stupid shit in the middle of the night with mates, I'm not sure many turn into scholars, doctors and diplomats. If you catch my drift...

This is stupid from my point of view, which is going to be really biased.

I am young for my year level, turning 18 next year when all my friends turn 18 this year. If there is a curfew for u/18s, there would be a few months of me not being able to go out with my friends.

Another reason im against it, is because where I live... there is no fights, gang wars, and there is hardly any groups of threatening or misbehaving 15 year olds.

Its hard to think at 5am - if i can articulate better later on ill edit this post

there's nothing I hate more than going to work on a FRiday or Saturday night when we stay open till 10. The rest of the mall closes like at 8, so no one comes in but huge flocks of stupid rich Newport Beach white emo highschool kids that have nothing better to do than hang out at an electronics store, buy candy, play the Xbox360 in store (when they probably have one at home), steal our CDs, and bug the hell out of me.

no joke, one night a big group came in and one kid was flapping his arms and making pterodactyl noises. yes, pterodactyl noises.

The point isn't about 15 year olds being dangerous, I'm talking about it being dangerous for 15 year olds. As I said, we've got a lot of Coolmac's roaming that streets, give me a good reason as to what a 15 year old has to do on the streets passed eleven pm and I might take you seriously.

Watch a movie? I can live with that, unless it's rated R or NC17, a 15 year old has no business being on the streets in that case. Most PG13 rated movies aren't shown that late (I'm guessing) so no, I really see no reason as to why a 15 year old kid would be on the streets. None what so ever. It's either to cause trouble or asking for trouble, no other reason.

There's a curfew where I live, but it's isn't followed. And guess why? Who do you think wants to enforce it? The police have better things to do then ask every kid on the street for ID and send them home.

I would love it if people my age (17) could just learn how to spend a quiet night with a couple friends at home.

A lot of people think that the problem is in rolemodels,but that isn't the truth.The truth is that parents are to blame,they just don't give a shit about there kids.I noticed many of my friends at school stay up late at the streets.The result of that is bad grades in school and some of the parents blame the teachers for this.In reallity the teachers are not to blame for this,because they do there job.Parents don't wanna admit that they are for blame,they always blame others for there mistakes.I'm just shocked sometimes,because of things some kids do.I remember one day when me and my friends were waiting for volley-ball training and one kid just started smoking a fucking cigaret and he was trying to get me to smoke.But I refused and here's the shocking part all the other kids were giving me peer presure to get me to smoke they were all saying "we did it to come on stop being a pussy".I didn't smoke that day and any other day to this day which I'm very proud of.I was so shocked when I disscovered that everybody in my group of friends was smoking except of a few.After that day I never looked at those friends the same way as before.I just fell blessed that I have great parents who care for me and look out for me.Speaking of a cerfew I have it.I have to be home at 7.00 p.m on a school day and 8.00 p.m. on weekends.I think every kid should have a cerfew to age 16.

Here, teenagers sucks. I blame society, parents even more and wrong rolemodels. For example, when I was at 4th (age 10 orso) grade, my classmates and older pupils than us, were smoking on breaks and after school. Why? Because, I assume, some stupid motherfucker raised on bad habbits by his parents though that is cool. So, he's like 11, smoking cigars, he's arrogant and everything that goes with that. Other stupid motherfuckers realised that they could do that as well, and they'll be the loved ones in their class. That continued for years, and I don't even whant to know what's happening now over there. I just can't tell you what 12+ girls doing here they want to be women, they're dressing like that, behaving like that, having sex when they go out... Everything. And by that I mean drugsetc. Fuck, not only curfew I would impose, I would take them to some kind of teen prison and punish their parents. I could write examples like this for hours, but what can I change. I'm not like them for a start.

In the old days parents could say things like "if you don't stop that I will beat you with a baseball bat" or "you don't get anything to eat for a week if you don't start behaving!". Now, that is against the law and frowned apon because people think it is bad parenting. Now the only thing parents can say is "if you don't stop it I'm taking your ipod and cell phone away for 2 hours!".

It's becomming harder and harder to be a parent these days. Which is why I don't plan on being a parent ever.

When I was in Korea, (When I was 13~14) I had to go to night school from 6 to 12. How was I supposed to do that with a curfew? In fact, in Korea, since we're such an education obsessed nation, we all usually DO go to night school until 12 to be ahead of the group...whatever that group is. And I know people from Brazil who have to go to school after work (yes, that would be child labor, which is pretty common in Brazil) and then go study at a night school. Anyhow, I know that my case is probably an exception, but still, it's impossible to draw the line, and if it's impossible to draw the line then you can't really set a curfew that would be agreeable.
As Andrew put it, "imposing a curfew for all members of an age group is essentially the law stepping in for ineffective parents and punishing an entire group for the actions of a few bad apples."

I doubt putting a curfew would really change much. And how would one enforce this curfew? And wouldn't that be violating our "precious freedoms" yada yada yada and all that?

The problem is that parents just aren't educating kids these days. The media probably isn't too much of an accurate source to judge this, but it seems that every day children become worse and worse. I think it's because children are treated too well, especially in their early years. They think the world revolves around them. That's why the transition from childhood to adult is so much of a big deal these days. I don't think any of this will ever get fixed though. It's just going to get worse and worse.