Following reports of more “teen trend” gatherings planned this weekend, some parents have broken their silence on the large crowds that have led to both violence and chaos.
“It doesn’t always start as a trend. It can start as a small gathering with the word of mouth amplified by social media and technology,” parent Daniel Ware said. “It gets out of hand very quickly.”
Ware spoke on Friday as Chicago police blocked off all entrances to Rainbow Beach with law enforcement vehicles and Department of Streets and Sanitation plows in an effort to prevent large gatherings from escalating.
The father also pushed back on the narrative that parents are always absent in such situations.
“She told me she didn’t know that it was going to be a ‘teen trend.’ It was just text messages that she was invited. But, you know, I’m not naive. Who knows if she knew or not,” Ware said, discussing his daughter’s account of a recent gathering.
Others say accountability is essential.
“Especially if your children lives with you and you see them daily, you should know where they are, and you should know their whereabouts,” parent Marquita Gatling said.
Gatling has also given advice to her daughter and her friends.
“I preach to her friends and their friends all the time about safety and being aware of your surroundings, because we have buried innocent children that just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” she stated.
