Juvenile Curfew Laws and Racial Delinquency

Juvenile Curfew Laws and Racial Delinquency

Abstract

Juvenile curfew laws are generally put into place by state and local city municipalities as a strategy to reduce youths from being out after dark, as this is commonly the time when they are likely to commit crimes. This paper will go in-depth on the general make up of curfew laws and explain what role parents play in making sure their children adhere to these laws. I also intend to discuss how and why juvenile delinquency shows disparity in comparison to different race and ethnic groups.

Juvenile Curfew Laws and Racial Delinquency

Curfew laws were mainly instituted in an attempt to reduce juvenile crime rates. According to the text, "From the 1880's through the 1920's, American cities created curfew laws designed to limit the presence of children on the city streets after dark. Today about two-thirds of large U.S. cities have curfew laws." (Siegel & Welsh, p. 30). Of course there are certain exceptions to these laws as juveniles are able to be out after curfew if they are accompanied by an adult, going to and from work, or in the case of an emergency. Curfew time blocks are mostly determined by the city or state legislature. More often than not curfew starts and ends at different times depending on what city the youth resides in. Some cities impose curfew between the hours of 8pm-6am while other cities are a bit more lenient and curfew could start as late as midnight. Common sense would say that if juveniles are restricted from being out later at night then there is a lesser chance of them committing a crime, but contrary to that belief most statistics show that a curfew for the youth does not have a significant effect on crime reduction. In a review released by the Justice Department, "most studies that have looked at the impact of curfew laws on juvenile crime have generally concluded that there is little evidence that curfew laws make a significant impact on juvenile crime rates." (Yiede, 2009). This is mainly attributed to two different thoughts of reasoning. First, the curfew laws may not be fully enforced by the police. Far too often the police are letting children off with warnings. Operating under the assumption of the no harm-no foul belief, then later pick that same child up for stealing a car or some form of vandalism . Secondly, juveniles simply aren't respecting the curfew laws, as they know that more often than not any fine or penalty that is imposed will be directly the responsibility of their parents.

With that being said that leads me to the parental laws and responsibility parents have for their children. The age in which a delinquent is considered an adult varies from state to state. In Missouri the cut off age is seventeen. That means that up until that age parents can be held accountable for the actions of their children. I currently reside in St. Louis City, and a curfew violator could face up to $500.00 in fines and 90 days in jail. Now this may seem unfair that parents would have to pay the cost for their children's mishaps or poor decisions, but in all honesty why should the state be solely responsible for juvenile crime prevention? If that was the case, then as a parent you are basically asking the state to raise your child. Some cases become difficult when teenagers become of age and the parents control begins to slip. At this point I think the courts should take special consideration for the parents. At the age of seventeen a child is beginning to change into a young man or women and begins to experience certain changes within their body. They could begin not to recognize the judgment of their parents, and in some cases even move out of their parent's home. Although they may consider themselves an adult they are yet to experience life difficulties and are subject to make some bad choices. Parental laws are put in place to give parents that extra incentive not to give up or desert their children in their greatest time of need.

The common thought in regards to juvenile delinquency and race is that non white youths commit crimes at a greater