What’s a mall without teenage evening hangouts? The Willow Grove Park Mall will soon find out

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Teenagers helped transform the mall into a cultural phenomenon. Now, the Willow Grove Park Mall wants them supervised at certain hours.

Effective Oct. 1, visitors under 18 cannot be left unaccompanied Monday–Saturday starting at 5 p.m. and Sunday starting at 3 p.m. Violators who refuse to exit the mall could be prosecuted for trespassing.

The new Parental Supervision Policy extends to youth employees, as well. They must leave the mall immediately, if their shift ends after 5 p.m. Mall security will enforce the new rules and inspect photo identification.

“Willow Grove Park is committed to maintaining a secure, welcoming, and family-friendly environment for all of our guests,” said Romaine Crawford, general manager of Willow Grove Park, in a press release. “This policy not only ensures that our guests can enjoy their shopping experience, but also fosters a secure environment for mall employees and visitors.”

Willow Grove Park joins a growing number of retail centers across the country that are experimenting with similar policies.

Fashion District Philadelphia, formerly known as the Gallery, banned unaccompanied minors in 2023, following a rowdy gathering of young people in Center City.

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, the private owner of the three-story shopping center, enacted a parental supervision requirement at Cherry Hill Mall during the holiday season.

Willow Grove mall officials said the policy is meant “to address concerns raised by both shoppers and local authorities about unsupervised minors gathering in large groups, which can sometimes disrupt the shopping experience.”

Crawford told WHYY News that the mall recognizes the “significant role” of teens in Willow Grove Park’s history. Nevertheless, the mall worked with the Abington Township Police Department to craft the policy.

“While there wasn’t a singular event that prompted this policy, we’ve seen a broader trend in malls and public spaces across the country implementing similar measures to enhance safety and ensure a family-friendly environment,” Crawford told WHYY News. “The decision is part of our proactive approach to prevent potential disruptions and maintain a high-quality shopping experience for all visitors.”

Kelly Coutts, 44, has been hanging at the mall since she was a pre-teen. She worked at the mall as a high school student and even took part in the Willow Grove Park Style Squad, organizing community fashion shows. The mother of three teenage boys was shocked about the policy change.

“I feel sad that this is happening because it seems like we’re really putting a lot of rules in place on kids when we want them to go out and not be on screens anymore — but we need them to go out into the world and go somewhere,” Coutts said. “So why not go to the mall?”

She said her 14-year-old son was “mad” when he saw the policy posted at the mall’s entrances. There are not many places in Abington for teens to hang out.

“They don’t want to go shopping with me,” Coutts said. “They want to go shop on their own. They want to meet their friends there. They want to see other kids from other school districts and meet other people. You can’t do that if your mom’s right next to you or your dad’s next to you.”

In her book “Meet Me By the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall,” design critic Alexandra Lange delved into the mall’s position in pop culture and its many contradicting qualities.

The mall is seen as a public space even though it was built to maximize profit, Lange said.

Consumption is a part of everyone’s lives, for better or for worse, she said. The mall, for the longest, was a place where teenagers could feel empowered by making choices about what they consumed.

“It’s important that they have the mall so they can decide what kind of teen they want to be,” Lange said.

Mall operators see groups of angsty teens as the latest threat to the space. WHYY News requested data and statistics regarding safety at PREIT’s properties. The company did not provide it.

“The goal of the policy is to create a balance where all guests feel welcome,” Crawford said. “We have designed the policy to promote a comfortable and respectful environment, where everyone, including teens, can have an enjoyable shopping experience.”

Coutts said stripping away the independence of teen shoppers seems “a little extreme” considering there hasn’t been a major incident. As a high school counselor and therapist, Coutts wondered if the policy could impact the way teens view themselves.

“What kind of message are we sending to them when we want them to be more independent and we want them to socialize more — but we can’t even let them go to the mall without their mom? It’s really bizarre,” Coutts said.

PREIT’s implementation of a new parental supervision policy is focused at Willow Grove Park.

“However, we are continuously evaluating the needs of each property in our portfolio,” Crawford said.