On Oct. 3, families of all students attending Aviara Oaks Middle School received an email saying that they were no longer allowed to go to the Plaza Paseo Real shopping center without a parent or guardian. 

The ban is due to an ongoing problem of middle school students allegedly coming to the shopping center unsupervised and disturbing the peace of the local Vons. Recently, there was an incident that caused Plaza Paseo Real to ban students from coming without a parent or guardian altogether.

When asked, Vons declined to comment on the matter.

However, Rose Flowers, principal of AOMS, shared her knowledge based on the complaints she has gotten about the students. 

“My understanding is, unfortunately, that a select number of students have been shoplifting from the store and then making comments to customers as they enter and exit that are not appropriate for a shopping experience,” Flowers said.

The Plaza Center was a go-to hang out spot for AOMS students to come to after school. Every day, students come to socialize or shop with friends.

When asked if she has seen students go to the shopping center before, Flowers stated, “Well, I don’t know about weekends, but certainly every weekday [when] there’s a school day.”

Students are often seen riding their e-bikes from AOMS to the shopping center directly after school. Flowers also believes that kids usually go there to purchase something at the store or to see friends.

Most kids hanging out in the area have good intentions. The Plaza Center is a place where kids go to meet with friends or to pick up something from the market. Out of convenience, many kids stop by the shopping center to grab a quick snack before going home as it is within walking distance of AOMS. 

Sadly, it is likely that a few students ruined this privilege for all of them.

“When [kids] congregate in groups, ‘mischief’ does occur,” says Julie Martinson, Sage Creek High School resource officer. “That can partially be the group mentality, peer pressure, and the adrenaline that goes along with doing something you could potentially be caught for.”

Ashley Jew is a seventh grade student at AOMS. Her thoughts on the actions of middle schoolers going places alone differ depending on the person.

“I think most middle schoolers have good intentions when going to the shopping center because sometimes they just need to buy something and come right back, but it depends on the person,” Jew said. 

Though the majority of the students coming to the shopping center may be innocent, certain kids may pressure each other into doing things that could get them into trouble for the thrill of committing a crime. When left unsupervised, these kids may make rash decisions and cause problems that wouldn’t otherwise happen if someone was there to watch them.

Due to these recent activities, the regular groups that spend time at Plaza Paseo Real are no longer able to benefit from the close distance of the shopping center and the school. The lack of adult supervision and the poor choices of a few select kids now prevent students from having the same freedoms that they once had.