Important Advice on House Parties

With an increasing number of house parties as well as gatherings in public places that have led to violence and property damage in Calgary, the Calgary Police Service is reminding parents and youth to be aware of the danger of large gatherings.

Parents can take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of their children, both when hosting gatherings, and allowing their children to attend parties.

Parents should be aware that when they authorize a house party, know of a party taking place at their home, or leave their children alone, such parties can quickly become out of control.

Unless parties are contained to a very limited number of people, they can rapidly escalate into physical violence, sexual assault, property damage and theft.

Due to the increased use of technology such as text and instant messaging, as well as social networking sites, the word of a party can spread very quickly, resulting in large numbers of unwanted or uninvited guests.

The dangers related to parties may be reduced when responsible adult supervision is present. Parents should be visible and aware of what is happening at all times. It is illegal for parents to permit the consumption of liquor in their residence by minors whom they are not the legal guardian of.

Anyone who is aware of an out-of-control party should immediately call police at 911.

While police respond to reports of out-of-control parties, parents are responsible for the well-being of children and youth who are in their home, while also being aware of where their children are spending time.

We all share the responsibility for making Calgary a safe city. The Calgary Police Service is committed to working with parents and youth to prevent incidents of violence.

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Police suggest the following safety tips to help ensure the safety of youth:

“¢ Be aware of your children’s whereabouts, who they are text messaging, where they are going and who they are associating with.

“¢ Open communication between parents and their children is vital to ensuring the safety of children when they are outside of your direct supervision.

“¢ If your child is having a gathering of friends, check the guest list with your teenager and know who is going to attend. Do not allow an “open party” where anyone can just walk in. An “invitation only” rule must be enforced. Set a definite start and ending time.

“¢ Set the ground rules, such as no drugs, smoking, alcoholic beverages, weapons, leaving the party and returning, or uninvited guests.

“¢ Before allowing your child to attend a party, make sure there is continuous parental supervision and no alcohol or drugs.

“¢ Know where your child is going and with whom they are traveling. When taking your teenager to a party, walk them into the house and introduce yourself to the host’s parents and take a good look at what is happening.

“¢ Trust your instincts. If a situation appears to be unorganized and unsupervised, parents shouldn’t be afraid to stop their child from participating, and youth shouldn’t be afraid to leave the gathering or call for help. Youth should notify their parents and police when they aware of potentially violent situations or if they have witnessed incidents of violence.