Mall Restriction

Legality of Keeping Kids Out of the Malls During Certain Hours

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

Our town is planning to enforce a law that will ban minors from the mall during certain hours. Everyone is in an uproar about this saying that legally, if the mall is open, kids should be able to hang out there. The town says it's not the mall workers' responsibility to keep a watch on the children, some of who do cause disturbances. What do you think about the legality of banning kids from the mall during certain hours?

Sincerely,

Not Allowed in the Mall

A:

Dear Not Allowed in the Mall,

The legality of banning kids from malls at certain times on certain days is pretty clear. Enforcement of any law is tricky. But the more interesting part of the law is the relationship the city is having with the youth in its community. By setting up curfews, the mall is telling parents (who will most likely be held liable, legally, for their minor children's actions), that the malls no longer want to babysit. The malls and the mall managers no longer want to parent the children of the community, and legalizing curfews is a way for society to put the responsibility of raising minor children back on the parents.

Too often in recent years and currently, parents abdicate responsibility for raising their children and allow caregivers, educators, and community venues like malls, parks, and restaurants to be the ones to spend most of a minor's hours in a day with the minors. In fact, the parents often spend fewer hours in a child's life with their child, as a minor, than others do. This law is a way of telling parents that the malls don't want to parent the community's children. And rightly so.

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

© 2004-2009 AskApril.com, LLC. All rights reserved. AskApril®, AskApril.com®, and Ask April® are registered trademarks owned by Masini Enterprises, Inc. This material can only be republished and redistributed if it is kept in it's original form, including, but not limited to, all AskApril branding, banners, links, books, and credits.