NSS GroupProviding Security for Underage Events
Providing security for underage events requires skill at dealing with young people, and the ability to stop trouble from occurring. Your security should act as a deterrent enabling you to just let the kids do their thing. If the young revellers feel like they are being given a fair chance to party, you likely won’t have any issues, though clamping down too heavily or getting rough with them can lead to a little-person riot. Providing security for underage events is important and easy, providing you stay in control and keep the following tips in mind.
Keep older kids out
Having older kids at the party is only going to lead to trouble, so if you are involved in planning, try to keep it restricted to kids no older than a certain age. This will also prevent older predators from targeting kids at underage parties under the guise of being just another reveller.
Don’t leave yourself short
Just because the party is for teenagers — even if it is for 13-year-olds — don’t assume that you won’t still need a full complement of security guards present. A big group of kids can cause chaos if you give them the chance, so never let them get the impression that they may be able to overrun the security. Being clearly in control from the start will stop kids contemplating starting any trouble.
Enforce the rules
Make sure your security personnel aren’t trying to be cool and letting breaches of the rules slide, because this will only make it easy for the police to shut down the party. Your private security is essentially a buffer between the party and the police, so make sure they know you want them to enforce the rules and have the guests obey them. This way, no one will have to deal with the police.
Don’t touch anyone unless you have to
Unless it is absolutely necessary, your security officers should try to avoid touching anyone in any way. When it comes to minors, you don’t want there to be any possibility of anything untoward happening, or being alleged to have happened. It is a good idea to hire security companies that are accustomed to doing underage events, because they can be quite different to regular adult gigs, and require an ability to deal with youngsters in their own way.
Making sure that underage people have a way to party safely is extremely important, meaning security is a crucial part of any youth event. While youngsters are full of hormones and energy and looking to show off, dealing with them doesn’t have to lead to conflict, and providing security for a good underage party can be simple and easy when done right. The kids understand that they can’t have the party without the security, so make sure it is a service being provided in a way that is supportive of their partying rather than just being another controlling element.
