Why should teenagers have a curfew?

I think the most profound reason is that if you are being housed and taken care of by someone, you have a duty to respect (to an extent) the person’s rule for their house.

If a parent has to wait up to be sure that their kid gets home safely, then realize that it’s mostly about how late they want to have to be up for you, not how late they think you should be out.

Well, the bottom line is because bored teenagers out on the town in the middle of the night often create mischief in the name of good times.

Because parents worry their children are ok, and knowing where they are is part of the way parents protect their children. God forbid something bad happened, at least a parent would know something is amiss if the teen does not make it home by curfew. Also, keeping on a reasonable sleep schedule is a good idea, and teens will stay up until 5:00 in the morning when out with friends.

I agree with @iamthemob on this wow, that’s happening more and more lately…hmmmm that it can be a lot about courtesy in the home. The teen needs to respect that the parents/guardians also have lives that may require getting up early (jobs, care of other children) and a need for a certain amount of sleep. Not to mention the concern for the safety and well-being of the teen, the later it gets, the more potential trouble can happen.

Another reason besides the parents/guradians.

Ironically, I had a later curfew than all my friends. They were at bonfire parties drinking, and the cops would come and break it up by midnight. I almost never drank, and was out with friends at late movies or with my boyfriend at a family party with many adults there.

However, if I was going to be late I let my parents know, and they knew the people I was with.

From our experience…

1) So they’ll come home at some point during the night.
2) So they know exactly how far we trust them.
3) So we have something to talk about at the breakfast table (great dieting technique!)

Seriously, we set parameters for our kids to protect them, but sometimes our rules can get a bit arbitrary. Instead of a set curfew time, parent and child could flex with the circumstances. (We just end up doing that anyway.)

So you think that there should be minors under 18?

As my Grandmother used to say:

“Nothing good ever happens after midnight!”

@smokeweedeveryday So you think that there should be minors under 18? What does that mean?

Oh my bad.
I meant to say ” should there be curfew for minors under 18?”

Yes, minors under 18, I would say even 18 if still in high school. And, common respect, maybe not a curfew per se, but everyone who lives under the same roof, even if over 18 needs to respect other people are expecting them home. Meaning no one wonders where people are, no one causes worry. This means an agreement on what time a person is expected, maybe not a parent dictating a time, I guess it is not quite a curfew.

Because you don’t trust them. You know? Damn kids won’t even call home and I’ve told them over and over and over and over. Plus they shouldn’t be riding in anyone else’s car, but do they listen? No they do not.

So it’s curfew for them. I don’t want them out after ten. Ok, ten-thirty. Or they lose the keys to the car. And I cut off cell phone service. And I put them in a chastity belt. Yeah. The guys, too. I know, I know. It gets a bit tight there, but I haven’t been able to find a male model, yet? Maybe I should ask a question.

Bottom line. They can’t be trusted. Just can’t be trusted.

Now why would you think I had anything to do with that?!? The very idea!

I mean, I’m just the parent.

@smokeweedeveryday : I think it should be based on the individual. My daughter proved to me early on that I could trust her in her choice of friends and activities, so curfews weren’t really an issue. A few basic rules were laid down, tell me if you’re leaving one location to go to another, call if you’ll be late, let me know who’s driving, that kind of thing. I guess this doesn’t help with your debate, but really, it’s so hard to make a blanket statement here.

because teenagers are kids and are not mature enough to be out late.

Because without curfew they might start smoking pot…every single day.

@FutureMemory I assume you are joking.

@JLeslie Take a peek at the OP’s username.

@FutureMemory Oh. Hahahaha.

@FutureMemory If they did, they’d be too baked to cause mischief =)

Pot smoking can happen in the middle of the afternoon. I never smoked pot, but I had sex basically every day after school with my boyfriend in 11th grade, it certainly did not need to be dark out.

When I posted my first answer I was a little baked. True story.

Because children (even teenagers) need limits. It is a way for them to know that they are secure and loved. Have you ever heard teens talking about the rules their parents set for them? It’s weirdly almost bragging. Of course from the parent side, it’s a way of protecting the child (teen) until they are old enough to make really good choices about their lives.

Because moma don’t sleep until everyone is home and the house is locked up.

This is one topic, The State of Washington, has fought for many years. That children should not have a curfew, because it violates their civil rights. There is much information, on this topic, at Washington State.gov.

From a police officers point of view and many years of experience, I have found that teenagers need a curfew for one reason…..to keep them out of trouble.

I recall one incident when four male teenagers were just standing on a corner, around one am in the morning. Each had a can of Mountain Dew in their hand. I natually asked them if they knew what time it was. One stated, “it’s none of your damn business”. Bad mistake. I got out of my police car and questioned them at length. I smelled the faint smell of alcohol on the breath of all four. I reached down and smelled the can of Mountain Dew, that one teenager had in his had. I later discovered it was vodka, colored and disguished as Mountain Dew. All four had vodka cans and all four were taken to juvenile for underage possession of alcohol.

If these four had been at thier home, at this time in the morning, I would not be answering your question.

There definetely needs to be a curfew for underage children. If not, this is usually the time they get themselves into trouble and I believe the stats will back me on this.

It has to do with prefrontal cortex maturity and impulsive behavior. It takes at least 20 years to fully develop.

“Teenager’s prefrontal cortex, the brain’s center for moderation, impulse-control and the understanding of consequences, is still under construction. Simultaneously the body’s hormones are surging.”

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2002163863_healthteenmoods30.html