New Mall Curfew Rules For 100 Malls: Parents Or Chaperones For People Younger Than 18 During Night Hours Gets Backlash [Video]

People might remember the rash of mall fights that broke out around the nation on December 26, 2016, as reported by the Inquisitr.

Videos that appeared on social media showed disturbances at approximately 20 malls, leaving some folks to wonder if the melee caught on video at malls like Beachwood Mall near Cleveland, Ohio, featuring large groups of younger people, weren’t organized.

Beachwood Mall On Lockdown In Ohio After Stampede, Claims Of Shooting [Videos] https://t.co/S6xjGmZ26k

— Robin Donnelly (@RDonnellyLPN) December 27, 2016

The events of that day have led to new rules for some malls that are getting backlash. As reported by Mercury News, the events of December 26 caused at least one Sacramento mall to ban minors that weren’t accompanied by an adult from the mall. The Arden Fair Mall decided to limit teenagers from visiting the mall — a decision that the ACLU is calling illegal and unjust, because people — including teenagers — must be treated as individuals. It wasn’t clear if the mall was instituting a ban on teenagers beyond the day after Christmas.

Detractors of some of the new mall rules, however, claim that malls can be a haven for teens — with malls long being viewed as a place to hang out and socialize. Malls are a place that teenagers don’t necessarily want to hang out with their parents. Indeed, plenty of parents have driven their teens to the mall to drop them off for an hour or two before their teens were old enough to drive themselves to the mall.

According to Cleveland.com, Beachwood Mall has created new rules for teens 17 years of age and younger. Those under 18 years of age must have a parent or chaperone 21 years of age or older on Friday or Saturday nights — after 5 p.m. — if they want to hang out at that mall. Such rules are being called sad by some folks on social media who cluck their teeth and keyboards at the fact that all teens are being lumped into one misbehaving bunch. IDs will be checked to verify the age of people at the mall.

As reported by Tronc, Fox Valley Mall came up with a similar policy that means teens need their parents or another adult with them if they want to hang out at that mall. The rule states that people younger than 18 years of age need someone 21 years of age or older as a part of their “Parental Escort Policy” days. It’s not clear when those days will be, but the mall might enforce those rules during the hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. A Facebook post from the mall explained that up to four young people could be supervised by an adult 21 years of age or older, and even those from 18 to 25 years of age should come prepared to show ID to prove their age.

Approximately 100 malls have used curfews, reports the East Bay Times, to try and prevent violence from happening as has happened in the past.

As expected, the mall curfew isn’t sitting well with some people. A sampling of social media comments about new mall curfew and chaperone rules can be read below.

DeAngelo Green: “Knew that was coming…. when I was a teenager, Beachwood Mall had a minor curfew. Thank you to all the ratchet kids who disturbed the peace.”

Jennifer Clifton Sapp: “Albany Mall is closing at 6. So I guess the curfew is going to be everywhere.”

Elliott Jones: “Beachwood Mall implemented a curfew for teens. You must be accompanied by a parent after 5 p.m. Act like a child get treated like a child.”

Barbara A Ragland was feeling sad. “Beachwood Mall is going to have a curfew. SORRY IT HAS COME TO THIS BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN DON’T KNOW OR CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S PROPERTY. I THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA. SO SAD THE GOOD HAS TO SUFFER ALONG WITH IDIOTS WHO CAN’T ACT LIKE THEY HAVE GOOD SENSE. WOW.”

[Featured Image by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Images]