Curfew laws and their effects on teens
- juniorjusticesllc
- Mar 22
- 3 min read
Many teenagers believe that curfews are annoying household rules set by your parents to make sure that you're not out too late. However, did you know that there are actually rules and regulations depending on what state you are in that determine what time you have to be home by? By definition, a Curfew Law is a law which bans an individual's ability to be out in public after a certain time. Although there are no federal laws as to when a child or individual must be in a household, many states have their own regulations regarding curfews, depending on how old you are. In other words, states have the ability to set a cerdew, and determine the guidelines for one. In some rare cases, such as when there is a global health crisis or the government declares martial law, the federal government does have the ability to get involved and set a national curfew.
The most common type of Curfew Law is Juvenile Curfew Laws. These curfew laws state what time a juvenile should be in their home or off of the streets, and usually only pertains to those who are under the age of 18. In the state of New Hampshire, the state wide curfew law for an individual who is under the age of 18 is 9:00 PM. I am sure you can remember a time in your life when you were outside past 9:00 PM and did not get in trouble for it, which may make you wonder, “how effective are these laws in the real world?”. Well, we’re here to answer that question.
The effectiveness of Curfew Laws
The main basis for enacting curfew laws in a specific state is justified on the grounds that it reduces the probability of juvenile crime and victimization. Law enforcement and legislation believes that by passing these laws, they are lowering the chance of teens being out late at night to make bad decisions and put themselves as well as others at risk of danger. These laws came about in a 1990s effort to reduce youth crime. After the enactment of these laws, statistics showed that the first few years following their start proved very effective in reducing crime rates. However, as time went on, many began to question whether these laws are really necessary or actually accomplishing anything. The main argument falls under the fact that most of the time, people don't follow the curfews, since these laws are hard to enforce. This actually makes it easier for youth to commit these crimes, because there are less people on the streets to stop them. These laws have run into even more serious problems, such as making it easier to racially profile and commit racial motivated acts, and targeting the homeless. Studies have shown that if an African American or a person of Color is caught during these hours, then they are much more likely to be taken into custody by the law enforcement officer than a Caucasian or white youth is. On top of this, the law enforcement officers should consider the fact that many of these teenagers do not have an actual place to sleep, and can therefore not avoid breaking this law. Homelessness is rampant among teenagers all over the world, and it is essential that law enforcement officers try to help their situation instead of forcing them to face punishment for it.
Know your rights
If you are ever stopped by a police officer for being out in public past the time of curfew, make sure you are well educated on the laws regarding your state's curfew. Oftentimes, the curfew time varies depending on what age you are. To find out your state's specific laws, visit:
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