Midnight Curfew for Night Owl Kids: A Round Answer to a Square Problem
Hmmm, will putting kids on the clock keep them from getting into mischief?
The field of ethics has always been a cloudy area with considerably more gray space than black and white. Accordingly, I try to maintain an open mind on ethical issues. But I am having difficulty doing so on a particular situation that came to my attention via a Facebook post.
The OPP in Haldimand Norfolk, neighbouring counties in Southern Ontario that just happen to be where I was born and raised, have issued a midnight curfew on youth under 16.
Their rationale is that they have noticed more young people, under the age of 16, out and about on the streets at night and hanging out in parks after hours. They maintain that this leads to vandalism, vehicle theft, underage drinking and illegal drug activity.
Consequently, any youth under the age of 16 caught in a public place without an adult between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. will be detained. Their parents will have to pick up the child at one of the local OPP detachments.
This controversial decision is well intentioned and does have arguments in its favour. Youth under the age of 16 should arguably not be out unescorted after midnight for their own safety.
But the step the OPP has taken falls deep inside the ethical gray space. It has the earmarks of a violation of basic human rights and raises the age old question: Does the end justify the means? I am going to steer clear of that loaded question.
My concern is that this short-sighted solution does nothing to uncover the root cause of the problem. Why are young kids able to roam around after midnight? Is it irresponsible parents who are negligent in keeping tabs on their children? This may be the case in some instances.
But I venture to suggest that in many cases it may be the result of financially overburdened parents, working night shifts or even double shifts to make enough money to take care of their family, who simply cannot be home when they want to be.
Furthermore, if indeed these young kids are committing crimes under the cover of darkness, someone needs to find out why. There are socio-economic factors at play that need to be identified and dealt with more directly. A curfew is no more than a band aid solution.
The midnight curfew for youth is akin to using a sledge hammer to pound in a one inch nail to put up a caution sign that states the obvious. In the realm of metaphor, it is a convenient, round answer to a square problem.
The problem will not go away just because kids are put on the clock. It will only be solved when someone takes the time to understand how it got started in the first place.
~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .
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