[OPLINLIST] Rowdy kids in force--

[refreed]

Allison & others of us dealing with rowdy groups,

The first thing to do, if calling the police isn't your preference right 
now, is to talk to
a member of the group one on one.  If you approach a rowdy group, you will 
get exactly the
reponses you described, no matter how interesting they may find your 
program suggestion or need the help you are offering.  Find out who the 
leader is and try to talk to this person individually. Do some detective 
work & find out some names.  Ask your pages or other teens that are 
around. Knowledge is power & finding out who they are & what makes the 
group tick will make life easier(and maybe astonish them into good 
behavior). Talk to the teachers at the school
What do they like at the library? Something must be cool or they would be 
somewhere else. Are they hanging around the music? Find out who they like 
& have a new cd party for their latest release. Bad Behavior= no party for 
you! If you really
want to get rid of them, play Beethoven instead of Coldplay wherever they 
are hanging out.

Bad behavior at our library means NO INTERNET, no attending programs etc. 
We can evict people for a week or a month or even
the entire school year if the behavior warrants it.  That is a hardship if 
they have schoolwork to do, so most kids shape up with a threat of 
eviction.
If you TELL them to leave because they are violating your code of conduct, 
& they do not comply, they are then
tresspassing, and it is a police matter. The theft is also a police 
matter.  Treat the serious offenses seriously and
most of the teens will fall into line.

Cynthia Gaynor
Reed Memorial Library