Here Comes Trouble
A surefire approach that works with unruly teens
By Susan B. Harden and Melanie Huggins -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2004
School's just let out, and Jared's* on the move. Decked out in an oversized basketball jersey and baggy jeans, the 15-year-old is ready for some action. Shortly after, he and his friends push through the library's double doors, and it doesn't take long until Jared spots Britney and starts chatting her up. Before you know it, their lips are locked and their hands are all over each other—it's one of those days at the Independence Regional Branch Library in Charlotte, NC.
Every weekday at 2:30 p.m., loud voices and howls of laughter announce the arrival of about 50 teens from East Mecklenburg High School. Mothers literally clear a path by pulling their little ones out of the way and older folks tuck newspapers under their arms in search of quieter space. The library doesn't have a teen section—just a children's room—and Jared and his friends claim their turf by parking their knapsacks on the same eight tables.
In a perfect world, we'd only serve well-behaved, mature teens who love reading and need research assistance. But while about half of the teens actually come to our library to do homework, the others just want to chill out and shoot the breeze. Jared mostly cruises from table to table telling raunchy tales, flirting with girls, and occasionally disappearing behind the stacks to hook up. He's been kicked out of the library three times in the last year, twice for inappropriate public displays of affection and once for what he describes as "running off at the mouth."
The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County offers more than 240 teen programs a year, and there's staff in each of our 22 branches responsible for teen services. Yet at Independence Regional Library and Freedom Regional Library—where we serve the largest teen populations—that's not what many kids want. Teens like Jared don't want another program or book club—they just want a place to hang out. With young adults like these, you're bound to have your share of kids who talk on their cellphones, eat in the library, or make out a little too often for your liking. How should you respond to this behavior? If banishing them is the first thing that comes to mind, don't be ashamed. We can all sympathize. But deep down, we know that this should be a last resort. Requiring ID or parental permission (see "Rowdy Teens Get Carded at Library," January 2004, p. 16) is just as bad. It makes teens feel unwelcome and merely shifts the problem to a nearby mall, fast-food joint, or any other place where kids hang out. Simply put, any barrier to library access is a failure on the part of libraries to serve this group. Libraries exist to serve everyone and can play a positive role in the lives of teens—even difficult ones.
It's no secret that America's youth spends the weekday hours of 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in all sorts of places. Jared and his friends are typical of more than half a million teens who receive some kind of adult supervision after school ends, according to "America After 3 P.M.," a recent study by the nonprofit organization Afternoon Alliance. By contrast, more than seven million kids in grades 9 to 12 are forced to care for themselves during these hours, because few parents can afford child care and few community programs target this age group. According to the study, just 6.5 million kids in grades K to 12 attend after-school programs, and the parents of another 15.3 million students say their children would participate in such programs if they were available. With few options, public libraries offer a convenient, free, and safe place for teens to turn. But, ironically, libraries are often places where teens can't be themselves.
How can we encourage disruptive teens to act responsibly? Since public library policies are seldom well known, make sure your teenage patrons are informed. Although the Independence Regional Branch Library used to have rules posted on its doors, and its staff had asked the principal at East Mecklenburg High School to distribute regulations, they didn't have much of an effect on teens. Kids much prefer one-on-one communication, so tell them directly.
Indeed, at the heart of the debate about teen conduct in libraries are the rules, how they're enforced, and how teens react to them. Want a strong word of advice? Keep regulations simple and few. "Respect yourself, respect others, and respect property," says Patrick Jones, author of Connecting Young Adults and Libraries (Neal-Schuman, 1998). "The more rules you have, the more there are to argue about." Teens are a work in progress and often don't know all of the regulations," Jones adds. In all likelihood, the first time they're aware of breaking a rule is the first time you've told them.
Try not to forget what it was like when you were a kid. It's best not to appear threatening or condescending when approaching a teen who's violated a rule. For example, one librarian, who caught a teen breaking the five-second rule with a kiss, told him to "shadow his affection in the library." While she may have thought her phrasing was respectful, it failed to yield any results but a laugh. It's better to get straight to the point: "Cut it out" or "Knock it off" are very effective ways to stop kids in their tracks. And when teens are disrespectful, don't take it personally. They may be showing off to their friends, and the last thing you want is to blow up when a teen does. "Staff are not their friends but authority figures who get to know them," says Vanessa Ramseur, branch manager at the Freedom Regional Branch Library.
Don't have rules exclusively for teens. If your library prohibits cellphone use, more than one person to a chair, or eating and drinking, make sure teens know up front that these rules apply to everyone, not just them. "Teen advocates need to speak up and ask the question: Is this exclusively a teen problem and are our rules and attitudes about this problem applied equally to all patron groups?" says Elaine Meyers, head of children and teen services at Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix, AZ.
Teens are quick to point out—and chafe at—any hint of unfairness. Younger kids scream, laugh, and squeal with excitement, and their parents are often oblivious to how loud their socializing can get. At the same time, seniors with hearing aids can get loud, and babies, by nature, are pretty noisy folks. Adolescents know that teen-exclusive rules are designed to discourage their behaviors, and that makes them feel targeted. As Chris Bates, manager of the Independence Regional Library says, "Don't treat teens to a higher or lower standard than other patrons." And keep things in perspective—most of the time we're talking about missteps, not criminal activities.
Consistency is key. All library staffers need to be alerted when a teen has broken a rule more than once. The Freedom Regional Library is attached to a high school and serves double duty as a public library and media center. Whenever an incident involving a teen takes place, the entire staff reviews the situation and how it was handled, then they discuss how to prevent it from recurring. Similarly, at Teen Central, a 4,000-square-foot teen facility at the Phoenix Public Library that serves 400 teens each day, the staff records unwanted or inappropriate behaviors in a discipline log. When a teen or any patron commits a library offense, a full description of the incident and the disciplinary action that was taken is entered into the log, along with a physical description of the offender.
If you want to prevent disciplinary problems and effectively enforce rules, develop relationships with teens. "The better you know them, the better the discipline will work," says Mercede Walker, the youth services librarian at Freedom Regional. "Get their name, get their respect." Mutual respect goes a long way, so make an effort to ask about their interests. And remember, it's the behavior—not the teen—that's the problem.
Whether the infraction is large or small, the next time you feel your teeth clenching and blood rushing to your head, take a few deep breaths—what you're seeing is often perfectly appropriate teen behavior. Teens are going through incredible growth spurts and are practically starving by the time school lets out for the day. They've been cooped up in classrooms all day and naturally want to talk to friends on their cellphones. If you see three girls huddled on one chair, it's just their way of communicating. And if kids can't keep their hands off of each other, understand that their hormones are raging beyond all sense of reason. They're being impulsive rather than intentionally disrespectful.
That's not to say you should let them off the hook. We typically give a teen more than one warning before asking him to leave the premises for the day. Such extreme measures are taken only if it's evident that there's complete disregard for the rules. It's most difficult, however, deciding what to do with the gray areas. For example, what constitutes an inappropriate display of public affection? Holding hands and rubbing shoulders aren't as clear-cut as an open-mouth kiss. Once your staff carves out its own boundaries, librarians should be quick to forgive kids' previous offenses. Sure, Jared has a history of hooking up all the time, but that doesn't warrant following him every time he disappears behind the stacks. Treat difficult teens as if they're innocent until proven guilty. Give them the opportunity to do the right thing—and make sure to praise them when they do.
To be sure, proactive measures are sometimes necessary. If a group is getting too loud, tell them nicely to keep it down. It's better to take care of a situation before it gets out of hand. Sandie Farrell, teen specialist at the Free Library of Philadelphia, recalls a harrowing experience involving a group of kids that had planned a fight in the library after school. By the time the staff noticed an inordinate number of kids in the building, teens were literally climbing up the stacks and it was clear someone was going to get hurt. Her advice: "Don't wait until problem behaviors escalate before rules are enforced." Physical violence or criminal activity is a violation that applies to everyone, and in those cases, don't hesitate to call the police.
Would you read War and Peace to toddlers during storytime or expect them to keep quiet for hours at a time? Of course not. By offering library staffers ongoing training in adolescent development, they'll have a deeper understanding of what makes teens tick. Socializing in large groups, boisterous banter, pushing boundaries, and inappropriate use of library computers or furniture are easier to digest when we understand the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of teens.
Comb community child-care centers and after-school programs for someone trained in adolescent development. We invited state library youth services consultant Jim Rosinia and the nonprofit agency Partners In Out of School Time (www.postcarolinas.org) to host workshops for our staff. The information we learned was priceless. For instance, teens have a great need to show off, so never embarrass them in front of their friends. It will only escalate the situation. Kids—especially boys—between the ages of 14 and 18 are always hungry; so if you're offering a teen program, always serve food. We occasionally hold pizza parties in a community room or send kids to Wendy's down the block if we catch them sneaking in food. Remember, an important way to connect with teens is to feed them.
Socializing is an important part of teen development, so whenever possible, create teen-friendly spaces. Or at least designate some shelves and computers exclusively for young adults. Reference desks on casters allow staff to move closer to teens to help, as well as monitor them. Large tables or booths that seat more than four teens should be placed away from quiet study areas. Creating a separate teen space will help alleviate the tension that arises when normal teen behavior clashes with appropriate library behavior. Of course, once you've carved out a teen area, "plan for them to be there" by ensuring there's trained staff to work with them who will establish rules and consequences, says Farrell.
Another effective way to communicate with teens is through their peers. Walker has a group of teenage "regulars" that informally teach library newcomers the rules, especially if they're likely to violate them. During one particular Friday-afternoon movie day, a new kid who everyone knew as a troublemaker attended a screening. He started loudly commenting on how boring and stupid the film was. "The other kids told him to chill, and I eventually had to ask the teen to leave," says Walker. "The kids knew [an admonishment] was coming and tried to warn him. The kids like the fact that the structure is there."
Jones urges librarians to rethink their traditional roles: "The role of any library is to make its community better, so the role of librarians working with teens is to make that community better," he says. How we respond to and meet the needs of teenage patrons can help define the value of our place in the community.
* The students’ names are fictitious.
