It's Friday night, and teenagers are gathering… both inside, and outside the mall.

"We want time to hang with our friends and go out and be away from the older group," says 15-year-old Semhar Tewelde.

But, experts say, when adult shoppers encounter large groups of teens, some get scared.

"That certain categories of people, young people… members of certain minority groups are not to be trusted or are a threat to you," says Robert Agnew, Ph.D., a Professor of Sociology at Emory University in Atlanta and a specialist in juvenile delinquency.

"We get rowdy, it's true, but I've seen plenty of older people get rowdy too," says 16-year-old Jarrett Stieber.

"Yeah, there's a lot worse things to do than hang around the mall with your friends and having fun," says 18-year-old Johnathan Jeffries.

Experts say mall operators are getting tough on kids in order to encourage adult shopping, not because of any increase in juvenile crime in malls.

"Crime is on the decline," says Dr. Agnew, "and that while teenagers are more involved in crime than juveniles and adults, their crime for the most part is relatively minor in nature and most of them grow out of it as then enter adulthood."

"Not all kids are bad," adds 16-year-old Jackie Matthews, "and a big group of kids doesn't necessarily mean there's going to be a lot more bad things going on."

And, what worries delinquency experts is that chasing teens away from the mall, they'll gather someplace else.

"Where there's less police presence, less supervision than there is in the mall and so you still may end up having crime and perhaps more serious crime because of that lack of police presence, that lack of supervision," says Dr. Agnew.

At the same time, he agrees with the position of some mall operators that some parents use the mall as a baby sitter. Instead, he suggests, "Spend a little time there and you don't have to necessarily walk around with your child in the mall," says Dr. Agnew, "But get a sense of what's going on, get a sense of what your child is up to. If you feel that certain of the behavior that they're engaging in is inappropriate… speak with them about it. Take appropriate action if necessary."

Tips for Parents
Many teenagers may be forgetting a mandatory requirement when going to the mall - their parent. Malls in 10 states have passed ordinances stating that teenagers must be accompanied by a parent when visiting their establishment, and others are considering following suit. Mall operators are worried that packs of teenagers may be scaring off other potential consumers. Consider the following statistics gathered by Weekly Reader Corporation and the Gale Group concerning teen mall traffic:

According to the market research group Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU), 68 percent of teens ages 12 to 19 spend time at the mall in any given week. On average, teens spend three-and-a-half hours at the mall each week. TRU also reports that teens spent about $175 billion in 2003. The average teen spent about $103 per week. Experts anticipate teen spending will reach $208.7 billion in 2011.
In 1996, The Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minn., was the one of the first malls to enact a teen escort policy. The mall, the largest in the country, requires teens 15 or younger to be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years or older after 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. One adult can escort up to 10 kids. A 30-member team of paid parents called "Mighty Moms" and "Dedicated Dads" enforce the policy.
According to The Detroit News, sales at Eastland Mall have gone up 29 percent since the teen curfew went into effect on June 1.
First Amendment guarantees, such as freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble, generally apply only to public property, not to private property, such as shopping malls. However, lawmakers in many states believe that malls now occupy the spaces where downtown and town centers used to be and should therefore be considered quasi-public spaces.
Some experts believe that many parents use the mall as a "baby-sitter" for their teenager, somewhere to keep them occupied so their parent doesn't have to watch over them. But research shows that teenagers really want to spend quality time with their parents, even though they may not outwardly show it. Gwen Morrison, an author and mother of four, says there are many things parents can do with their teenager instead of letting him/her hang out at the mall with friends every weekend. Consider the following:

Take them with you for a drive. If they are ready to drive, go somewhere and practice with them. If you are driving, this is a great time to open up a conversation.
Take your teen to a movie that they want to see.
Go for coffee (or tea) once a week - even for just 30 minutes. This is a great opportunity to find out what is going on with their life.
Have them help you with a home project: Re-papering the bath or painting the kitchen. Teens really do love to help. It makes them feel like you trust them.
Cook with your teenager. This is a great way to share a meal and teach them to cook. It can be a lot of fun, too.
Go to a concert or sporting event with your teen.
Take your teen to work for the day.
Pitch a tent in the backyard and escape the rest of the family for a night.
Go for a nature walk or a hike. Pack a lunch, a radio and a sense of adventure.
Make one day per month "all about them" day. Let them choose their favorite meal and activity for the day.
Rent movies and stay up late.
Go to the music store with them. Let them show you what kind of music they like. (Be interested, even if you don't like it!)
Spend a Saturday morning at the flea market or garage sales. Give them a few bucks and dare them to find the best bargain.
Volunteer with your teenager.
Plan a monthly "family night" where you play board games, cards or just hang out and watch movies together.