Readers — Print this out and hand it to your friends who insist that, “Times have changed,” and, “It’s so unsafe now!” and “Crime is going up.” Here it is, straight from The Wall Street Journal. A little piece about the crime rate. — L.
This must be the reason the police have time to arrest mothers for letting their kids play in the park. Idle hands, you know.
Jim Collins on
This just shows the amount of fear mongering media hype about anything concerning children. Look at the article on the Uk Prime Minister leaving his daughter at the pub. It’s intention was to make the PM look like a bumbling idiot who takes his young children to bars. These statistics got about 5 seconds on the local news, while the story about a man getting arrested because he stopped to ask some teen-age boys for directions. we have the Sandusky trial going on and the news media is looking for anything that they can tie into it.
Kris on
Just curious what you’d say to the argument that crime is decreasing because parents are being more “vigilant” about child safety. I’d love to use these statistics but know that that argument will come up.
Uly on
Oh, god, did you read the comments to the article?
Beth on
Uly, I just read those. Unbelieveable. So people will believe media hype without question, but are suspicious of real statistics and real facts.
And @Kris, this article doesn’t mention crimes against children, that I recall. It is all crime, against everyone, even adults who don’t have someone watching them 24/7.
Some time ago, someone explained the basic mindset of most Americans thus:
“Americans are willing to accept almost any amount of self-imposed risk but aren’t willing to accept any amount of externally imposed risk.”
In other words, you hear quite often “I won’t let my child walk alone unless there’s 0% chance of an abduction” but that same parent will drive their child around while talking on the phone and/or eating.
Heather G on
@Kris, the fact that crimes against everyone, adults included, is my go to when people say kids are safer *because of* constant monitoring. If the parental monitoring were the reason there would only be a decrease in crimes against children. Instead it’s down for adults too. Which is good because my mother has no interest in constantly supervising her adult daughter and it would be rather hard as she is disabled and living in another state.
I’m not worried about the walk or time alone at the park, I’m worried about cps taking my child or being arrested because I let him walk and play at the park alone.
Uly on
I always feel it’s better to be proactive, JJ. Have you called CPS (say… from a payphone) and asked their professional opinion?
If nothing else, it’ll be good for a laugh if they don’t have one!
CrazyCatLady on
JJ, Or have CPS called because you left the kids at home alone while you had the walk in the park!
Tara on
What about people who are concerned about physical safety, like getting hit by a car, not really concerned about kidnapping? The family in question DOES live a few houses away from a busy street and the kid in question DOES have a tendency to be, well, an 8 year old boy. (Personally I’d rather see the child world proofed instead of the world childproofed, but that’s just me.)
Uly on
What about people who are concerned about physical safety, like getting hit by a car, not really concerned about kidnapping?
They’re at least in the world of the sane. And if their kid is unable to comply with simple instructions like “don’t dart into traffic already!” they may be right in not allowing him more freedom.
Traffic accidents are a very real danger. But one that you can mitigate for. By teaching our child how to cross roads safely and making them understand the risks and consequences. And of course also by coupling freedom to respecting boundaries and showing responsibility. The latter should be the one of the 10 commandments of free range parenting.
14 Comments
This must be the reason the police have time to arrest mothers for letting their kids play in the park. Idle hands, you know.
This just shows the amount of fear mongering media hype about anything concerning children. Look at the article on the Uk Prime Minister leaving his daughter at the pub. It’s intention was to make the PM look like a bumbling idiot who takes his young children to bars. These statistics got about 5 seconds on the local news, while the story about a man getting arrested because he stopped to ask some teen-age boys for directions. we have the Sandusky trial going on and the news media is looking for anything that they can tie into it.
Just curious what you’d say to the argument that crime is decreasing because parents are being more “vigilant” about child safety. I’d love to use these statistics but know that that argument will come up.
Oh, god, did you read the comments to the article?
Uly, I just read those. Unbelieveable. So people will believe media hype without question, but are suspicious of real statistics and real facts.
And @Kris, this article doesn’t mention crimes against children, that I recall. It is all crime, against everyone, even adults who don’t have someone watching them 24/7.
Some time ago, someone explained the basic mindset of most Americans thus:
“Americans are willing to accept almost any amount of self-imposed risk but aren’t willing to accept any amount of externally imposed risk.”
In other words, you hear quite often “I won’t let my child walk alone unless there’s 0% chance of an abduction” but that same parent will drive their child around while talking on the phone and/or eating.
@Kris, the fact that crimes against everyone, adults included, is my go to when people say kids are safer *because of* constant monitoring. If the parental monitoring were the reason there would only be a decrease in crimes against children. Instead it’s down for adults too. Which is good because my mother has no interest in constantly supervising her adult daughter and it would be rather hard as she is disabled and living in another state.
Dara O’Briain said it best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDYba0m6ztE
I’m not worried about the walk or time alone at the park, I’m worried about cps taking my child or being arrested because I let him walk and play at the park alone.
I always feel it’s better to be proactive, JJ. Have you called CPS (say… from a payphone) and asked their professional opinion?
If nothing else, it’ll be good for a laugh if they don’t have one!
JJ, Or have CPS called because you left the kids at home alone while you had the walk in the park!
What about people who are concerned about physical safety, like getting hit by a car, not really concerned about kidnapping? The family in question DOES live a few houses away from a busy street and the kid in question DOES have a tendency to be, well, an 8 year old boy. (Personally I’d rather see the child world proofed instead of the world childproofed, but that’s just me.)
What about people who are concerned about physical safety, like getting hit by a car, not really concerned about kidnapping?
They’re at least in the world of the sane. And if their kid is unable to comply with simple instructions like “don’t dart into traffic already!” they may be right in not allowing him more freedom.
Traffic accidents are a very real danger. But one that you can mitigate for. By teaching our child how to cross roads safely and making them understand the risks and consequences. And of course also by coupling freedom to respecting boundaries and showing responsibility. The latter should be the one of the 10 commandments of free range parenting.