As summer winds down, Missouri communities are looking for ways to prevent another season of so-called "teen takeovers."
The social media-organized gatherings sometimes lead to fights, property damage, and traffic disruptions. Earlier this month, a crowd took over an intersection near Bevo Mill and set a car on fire. Police are still searching for others believed to have been involved. The city of St. Louis responded to earlier disruptions with a 9 p.m. summer curfew for minors in Downtown and Downtown West.
Jarrell Morton, director of the nonprofit service organization YouthBuild in Columbia, said consequences may be necessary, but young people should be included in conversations about prevention.
"To me, when someone is considered acting out or utilizing a platform like these teen takeovers to draw attention, there's a root cause," Morton observed.
Morton argued listening to young people could help redirect their organizing skills. He noted communities transform public spaces for major revenue-generating events but are less willing to invest similarly in youth. Still, he stressed understanding the causes does not excuse violence or disruption.
Morton pointed to the pandemic as one possible factor in teen takeovers, as many young people returned to school and other routines while still carrying emotional strain, grief, and isolation from the period. The effects may be particularly intense in underserved communities where support was already limited. State-level data show nearly one in four Missouri children ages 3-17 have been diagnosed with a mental or behavioral condition.
"We turn the switch back on to get back to normal as quickly as possible. But with any level of trauma or grief, typically there is some sort of aid that is supplied to a population that is impacted," Morton added.
St. Louis paired its summer curfew with teen drop-in nights featuring basketball, chess, photography and other activities. Nationally, the Afterschool Alliance reported that four children are waiting to get into an afterschool program for each one currently enrolled.
The Missouri News Service is a partner with KRCU Public Radio and originally published this story.
