"who doesn't like free candy? [...] there are some that argue that the motivating want for candy should’ve fallen out with one’s baby teeth."-Zora Williams, 11th grade
Who doesn’t like free candy? For most participants in Halloween festivities, this is the main justification for their holiday habits. And, indeed, who doesn’t like free candy, dressing up, and spending time with friends? Quite frankly, there seems to be no downside to Halloween and the traditions seem timeless.
Nonetheless, there are some that argue that the motivating want for candy should’ve fallen out with one’s baby teeth. In March of 2019, Chesapeake, Virginia instated an official law that prohibited children over fourteen from trick-or-treating at risk of a $250 fine. It was later clarified that the law’s purpose was to “give police the ability to take action if someone were to do ‘something malicious’”. However, the law indirectly places teens in a light of distrust and wrongfully dissuades them from participating in Halloween activities. On the contrary, teenagers should be encouraged to go trick-or-treating as it has a myriad of external and internal benefits .
Many adults believe it's best to keep teenagers from trick-or-treating because they fear that the teens will wholly embrace the “trick” aspect of the evening. Indeed, history suggests that teenagers are more likely to commit petty crimes on Halloween such as shoplifting and vandalism. As a result, they are shunned from trick or treating for the sake of younger kids. But what does this response suggest? That teens should spend a night of festivities alone in their house? On the contrary, it is often seen that teens who opt not to trick-or-treat will instead attend Halloween parties which can be breeding grounds for dangerous behaviors such as underage drinking. There is a clear link between the consumption of alcohol and the increase in crime on Halloween night. In fact, according to Baltimore law office TraubLaw, 43% of fatal traffic accidents on Halloween are caused by drunk driving, with teenagers making up a large part of that percentage due to alcohol consumption at parties. It is unfair to place teens in an unsafe position simply because a few of them may have pulled pranks. As one OSA tenth-grader, Natalie Burr put it, "If a group of teens is out T-Ping a house on Halloween, they were probably planning on doing stuff like that anyway. Trick-or-treating or not.”
Even without the candy, Halloween still offers an equally sweet experience. Trick-or-treating allows adolescents to explore and interact with their community in a controlled manner. Furthermore, it motivates teenagers to leave the house at all. According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine in March of this year, most teens spend less than an hour outside each day because of increased screen time and general boredom.
“Things are so expensive now,” says eleventh-grade-student Faith Li, “There’s really nothing to do outside the house where you won’t have to spend like twenty dollars or more.”
This type of isolated lifestyle can lead to various mental health problems during a critical period of development. Trick-or-treating prompts teens to spend time with loved ones, and gain some exercise while walking. It is not just beneficial to teens on a surface level, but it also betters the mental and social well being of teens, preparing them for their future.
It's evident that adults are missing the bigger picture by prohibiting teenagers from trick-or-treating. Not only does trick-or-treating prevent teens from engaging in more dangerous activities, such as drinking, but it also fosters a sense of community and allows teens to engage with the world around them. The negative portrayal of teenagers has skewed people's perception of them and caused them to be viewed as far more dangerous than they actually are.They should not be excluded from fun activities for the sake of reassuring adults. Allow teenagers to trick-or-treat and make their sixteen truly sweet!
Nonetheless, there are some that argue that the motivating want for candy should’ve fallen out with one’s baby teeth. In March of 2019, Chesapeake, Virginia instated an official law that prohibited children over fourteen from trick-or-treating at risk of a $250 fine. It was later clarified that the law’s purpose was to “give police the ability to take action if someone were to do ‘something malicious’”. However, the law indirectly places teens in a light of distrust and wrongfully dissuades them from participating in Halloween activities. On the contrary, teenagers should be encouraged to go trick-or-treating as it has a myriad of external and internal benefits .
Many adults believe it's best to keep teenagers from trick-or-treating because they fear that the teens will wholly embrace the “trick” aspect of the evening. Indeed, history suggests that teenagers are more likely to commit petty crimes on Halloween such as shoplifting and vandalism. As a result, they are shunned from trick or treating for the sake of younger kids. But what does this response suggest? That teens should spend a night of festivities alone in their house? On the contrary, it is often seen that teens who opt not to trick-or-treat will instead attend Halloween parties which can be breeding grounds for dangerous behaviors such as underage drinking. There is a clear link between the consumption of alcohol and the increase in crime on Halloween night. In fact, according to Baltimore law office TraubLaw, 43% of fatal traffic accidents on Halloween are caused by drunk driving, with teenagers making up a large part of that percentage due to alcohol consumption at parties. It is unfair to place teens in an unsafe position simply because a few of them may have pulled pranks. As one OSA tenth-grader, Natalie Burr put it, "If a group of teens is out T-Ping a house on Halloween, they were probably planning on doing stuff like that anyway. Trick-or-treating or not.”
Even without the candy, Halloween still offers an equally sweet experience. Trick-or-treating allows adolescents to explore and interact with their community in a controlled manner. Furthermore, it motivates teenagers to leave the house at all. According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine in March of this year, most teens spend less than an hour outside each day because of increased screen time and general boredom.
“Things are so expensive now,” says eleventh-grade-student Faith Li, “There’s really nothing to do outside the house where you won’t have to spend like twenty dollars or more.”
This type of isolated lifestyle can lead to various mental health problems during a critical period of development. Trick-or-treating prompts teens to spend time with loved ones, and gain some exercise while walking. It is not just beneficial to teens on a surface level, but it also betters the mental and social well being of teens, preparing them for their future.
It's evident that adults are missing the bigger picture by prohibiting teenagers from trick-or-treating. Not only does trick-or-treating prevent teens from engaging in more dangerous activities, such as drinking, but it also fosters a sense of community and allows teens to engage with the world around them. The negative portrayal of teenagers has skewed people's perception of them and caused them to be viewed as far more dangerous than they actually are.They should not be excluded from fun activities for the sake of reassuring adults. Allow teenagers to trick-or-treat and make their sixteen truly sweet!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“The Association Between Screen Time and Outdoor Time on Adolescent Mental Health and Academic Performance: Evidence from Rural China.” NCBI, 9 March 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10010124/. Accessed 2 September 2023.
“Does Crime REALLY Spike On Halloween? Surprising Facts About Danger to Your Home.” EMC Security, https://www.emcsecurity.com/does-crime-really-spike-on-halloween-surprising-facts-about-danger-to-your-home/. Accessed 2 September 2023.
“ DUI Statistics and Halloween: What Celebrants Need to Know DUI Statistics and Halloween: What Celebrants Need to Know.” The Law Office of Hillel Traub, https://www.traublaw.com/dui-statistics-and-halloween-what-celebrants-need-to-know/. Accessed 7 September 2023
Elassar, Alaa. “You may have heard about the Virginia town that went viral for banning anyone over 14 from trick or treating. Here's the whole story.” CNN, 23 October 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/23/us/chesapeake-halloween-punishment-trnd/index.html. Accessed 27 September 2023.
Friese, Bettina, and Joel W. Grube. “Teen Parties: Who Has Parties, What Predicts Whether There is Alcohol and Who Supplies the Alcohol?” NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4512649/. Accessed 25 August 2023.
Grothe, Taylor. “Should Teens Go Trick-or-Treating?” Verywell Family, 18 October 2022, https://www.verywellfamily.com/should-teens-go-trick-or-treating-6751842. Accessed 2 September 2023.
Kim, Jean. “Why Halloween Can Be Therapeutic.” Psychology Today, 24 October 2020, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shrink/202010/why-halloween-can-be-therapeutic. Accessed 4 September 2023.
“Surprising Facts About Halloween Crime Spikes | Hartman Chartered.” Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, 11 October 2021, https://www.attorneyshartman.com/blog/surprising-facts-about-halloween-crime-spikes/. Accessed 5 September 2023.
