I am not sure how many people are aware of the recent rash of flash mobs of teens roving some of the major cities of the United States. Two cities that come to mind are Kansas City (the suspected birthplace of this activity) and right here in Philly.
So, what exactly are these teens doing that is causing such a fuss? Since May (in Philly), there has been a rise in violent random attacks by mobs on passersby. This has been attributed to many different things including teenage boredom, lack of facilities open late at night for teens, and, of course, poor parental supervision. Personally, I feel as though the last choice is totally incorrect; however, the mayor and others in control of local government disagree with me. So, their choice was to impose a curfew in Center City. Those under 18 must be out certain downtown areas after 9 p.m. unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian (an not some random adult). Additionally, the teen may prove that he or she is on her way home or somewhere to meet an appropriate adult supervisor.
The next obvious question is, what are the penalties for violating the curfew? First, any teen found on the street after the curfew that is unable to meet the burden of proof described above will be taken into custody by police. The teen is transported to a local precinct or sub-station and put in a special holding area while the teen's parents are contacted. The teen and parent both face fines that increase if the teen is caught in violation again. Additionally (and arguably my least favorite part of this curfew), the parent or legal guardian of a teen will be subject to stiffer penalties if they do not report to the precinct or sub-station to retrieve their truant teen. To interject my feelings, I was raised under the adage "If you are picked up by the police don't expect to be bailed out until the morning." Honestly, I am not sure whether my parents were being serious or not but, I never thought of testing that theory.
Mayor Nutter has seriously cracked down on the mob violence in Center City, but I am not sure he is doing it in a legally appropriate manner. We all know of instances where stubborn teens wind up doing what they want (even against the wishes or demands of their parents or guardians). Parents should be held responsible for their children, but at what cost? Should there be a hearing to determine whether the child is acting out against the parent. It seems that fining a parent may not be a very strong deterrent.
In the first weekend of the curfew almost 70 teens were placed in custody at precincts or sub-stations. Many of the parents claimed that they did not know of the curfew, but, as many of you readers will think to yourself, ignorance of the law is no defense. Besides, it has been all over the TV, in the papers, on the radio, and I have personally heard talk of it in the suburbs that are not even affected by mob violence.
Is there a better way to deal with this? You decide.
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UPDATE:
The Philadelphia PD reported that another 34 teens were detained for violating the curfew this past weekend.
Since I have nothing better to do, and because fads like flash mobs make me want hurt a small puppy, I'll add my two cents. Lack of parental guidance, expansion in access to social media, and relaxed social mores...hold on a second - "GET OFF MY LAWN, YOU HOOLIGANS!!! *angry fist pump-like wave* - anyways, where was I...oh yes, all of these things, along with boredom due to lack of exercise and due to kids being generally stupid because they are...well...kids...have contributed to these ridiculous social fads. As far as how to deal with it? Go after the parents. Until the kid is 18, they're under the legal protection/supervision of the parentals. If you're over 18, don't give a rats arse. Under, haul the parent in and let them take care of the problem. Oh, you're a parent who can't discipline their kid because you're too busy or just want to be your kid's friend? Too bad. Stop crapping out kids if that's the case. Your kid is YOUR responsibility. Now, if you'd like him or her to be our responsibility, I'm sure a few socially-conscious folks we'll take you up on that and give your kid some serious discipline. However, as such, you lose your right to bitch and complain about how your kid is being treated. You gave up that right by generally being a derelict delta bravo - it does indeed take a village to raise a child sometimes. So, in the end, your kid screws up, you pay. If you want to take that out on your kid's hide, be my guest. If your kid has a problem with it, too bad...stop effing up. It's not so super complicated; we just make it more complicated because we try to spare everyone's feelings by rationalizing stupid behavior and not forcing people to take responsibility for their actions. That is all. *steps off soapbox*
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