TRENDS Malls nationwide institute curfews for teen shoppers

Mall operators say the curfews have cut down on unruly behavior.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Burly security guards are posted at each entrance, asking the stylish hipsters for their IDs. Guys in baggy jeans and girls in kitten-heeled shoes roll their eyes impatiently, beckoned by the bright lights inside.
It's not the newest club in town, but it is one of the hottest spots -- the mall.
In some cities, young mall rats are being told they're not allowed to shop or hang out at night without a parent or guardian.
"I think it's, like, annoying because what am I going to do anyway?" Sylvia Fallon, 15, said on a recent Friday night at Columbus' Easton Town Center mall. "I wish I could come here later."
Unaccompanied teens 15 and younger must leave Easton by 9:30 p.m. That's why Sylvia was striding briskly across the food court at 10:10, her eyes scanning the plaza for security guards.
"We just try to go by really fast. If you don't look them straight in the eye, it's OK," Sylvia pointed out before excusing herself.
Other malls have curfews of 6 p.m. or 8 p.m.
A social experience
For many teens, going to the mall means more than shopping -- it's a place to see and be seen, and sometimes just a place to escape Mom's nagging.
"Teens don't really feel like there's a lot of places for them. They don't want to hang out at home. They can't go to a bar or nightclub, obviously," said Rob Callender, senior trends manager for Teen Research Unlimited.
"Teens have a large disposable income but they don't want to spend money every time they want to hang out with friends, so it's a free place they can hang out and entertain themselves," he said.
Some malls began enacting curfews after fights broke out among groups of unruly teens; at other malls, it was a way to unclog hallways full of teens who wanted to visit with friends, not shop.
"Hanging out in large groups, that is what we're not looking for," said Jim Craycroft, the facilities manager at Newport on the Levee in Newport, Ky., across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. The mall requires escorts after 8 p.m. except for teens going directly to a movie theater.
The International Council of Shopping Centers does not keep track of how many of the country's 46,990 malls and shopping centers have curfews, but they are enforced at malls in not only Kentucky and Ohio, but also Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Just how popular are malls? According to marketing research firm Teenage Research Unlimited, 68 percent of teens ages 12-19 spend time at the mall in any given week. On average, teens spend 31/2 hours at the mall each week.
Started curfew in 1996
The Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis, the country's largest retail and entertainment center, began its "parental escort policy" in 1996.
"They like to hang out in big groups, they like to see their friends, but then customers couldn't walk through the hallways," said Maureen Bausch, the mall's vice president of business development.
Teens 15 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years or older after 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. One adult can escort up to 10 kids.
In the year before the curfew went into effect, there were about 300 incidents involving kids under 16 for which Mall of America officials had to issue trespassing citations or call the police. The year after the policy was put into place, there were two incidents, Bausch said.
"You don't just say you're not welcome, because they are welcome. We just welcome them with a parent," she said.
Mall of America had about 10,000 kids under the age of 16 on any Friday or Saturday night before the policy, Bausch said. Now, there are even more shoppers on those nights.
Retailers like it
Some retailers at Easton say the rule helps them maintain a more professional atmosphere.
"A curfew benefits retailers mainly because we don't have a bunch of kids running around," said Matt Radici, 23, who works at the mall's T-Mobile cell phone store.
"There's a lot of loitering, and cell phones are such a fashion item that they'll take the model phones, the plastic ones that don't work, because they think they're cool," he said.
Curfews don't bother some teens.
Fifteen-year-old Sarah Creelman of the Columbus suburb of New Albany spent the day at Easton recently, shopping and watching a movie with her neighbor and their little sisters.
Standing in front of a popular teen clothing store as lines of cars rolled by on the bustling Friday night, Sarah said she goes to Easton about twice a month. She likes it because it has everything -- clothing stores, McDonald's, coffee shops.
But does the curfew hurt her social life?
"I think it's fair enough, because most parents want you home at a certain time anyway," she said.