This video of John Stossel’s is going viral — as it should! It shows how crazy our country can sometimes be when an onlooker thinks all unsupervised kids are automatically in danger, no matter WHAT the actual circumstances. And then what can happen when the cops agree!
TWO BIG CAVEATS:
1 — This is still rare enough that it makes news. Yes, we are trying to change the laws so it NEVER happens, but thank goodness it is not an everyday thing. And of course, the more that kids play outside again, the more seeing a kid outside becomes renormalized!
2 – The piece does not mention LET GROW, but that is the nonprofit that grew out of Free-Range Kids and works tirelessly to change the culture of fear. I am its president — have been for 7 years! And I am its co-founder along with Jonathan Haidt, Daniel Shuchman and Peter Gray. Please visit us there to find out your local laws and how to work with us to change them, if need be!*
*NOTE: Texas, where Heather was arrested, is one of the states where we changed the Child Protective Services law (so her kids could not be taken away) but where we have not yet changed the Criminal Law (which is why she could be arrested). To support our legal efforts — it’s not easy to pass a law! — please consider a donation to Let Grow!
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The problem lies in our instinctive fear response. The reptilian brain, which governs basic survival instincts, struggles to process nuanced information about risks and benefits. Instead, it fixates on immediate dangers, like kidnapping, overriding rational consideration of mental health impacts. This instinctual response makes finding a balance challenging.
The nuanced information below is often incomprehensible to the reptilian brain. Unfortunately, this “snake brain” frequently drives our actions, influencing lawmakers in the process. As a result, policies may inadvertently set children up for lifelong struggles with anxiety, depression, and an inability to cope in an adult world without the necessary emotional maturity.
Contributing Factors to the Crisis
The rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among children are deeply concerning and demand urgent action. Several factors contribute to this crisis:
Social Pressures and Academic Demands: Children face increasing expectations in both social and academic settings, leading to significant stress.
Lack of Supportive Environments: Many children lack access to nurturing spaces that foster emotional well-being, hindering their development.
Increased Exposure to Technology and Social Media: While beneficial in moderation, excessive screen time and social media use are linked to heightened stress and reduced social skills in children.
To build resilience and emotional maturity, children need open communication, supportive relationships, and opportunities for self-expression. Without these essentials, their ability to manage emotions and cope with stress is compromised. A holistic approach—one involving parents, educators, and policymakers—is necessary to create environments that promote emotional intelligence, healthy coping skills, and overall mental wellness.
The Bottom Line: This Is Dangerous
The prevalence of mental health issues among children is significant:
Anxiety: In 2021-2022, 10% of children aged 3-17 were diagnosed.
Depression: In the same period, 4% of children aged 3-17 were diagnosed.
Suicide: It remains a leading cause of death among adolescents, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
Encouraging Responsible Independence
Building confidence, maturity, and self-worth in children requires giving them age-appropriate responsibilities, such as walking half a mile alone. These experiences are crucial to their development and can help reduce mental health risks. Unfortunately, many parents face barriers like legal consequences, fines, job loss, and financial hardship simply for preparing their children for adulthood.
Overestimation of Child Kidnapping Risks
Fear of child abduction often leads to overprotectiveness, limiting children’s opportunities for growth. The overestimation of kidnapping risks can be attributed to:
Media Sensationalism: Extensive coverage of rare abduction cases amplifies public fear, creating a false sense of frequency.
Cognitive Biases: The availability heuristic causes people to overestimate the likelihood of memorable events, like well-publicized kidnappings.
Parental Anxiety and Changing Norms: Modern norms equate good parenting with constant supervision, resulting in hyper-vigilance.
Policy and Legislation: While campaigns like “stranger danger” aim to protect, they often inflate perceptions of risk.
High-Profile Cases: Well-publicized abductions distort public perception, making them seem more common than they are.
In reality, stranger abductions are rare compared to other risks children face, such as accidents or domestic issues. This disconnect between perception and reality drives the overestimation of kidnapping risks.
Conclusion
Balancing children’s mental health needs with appropriate safety measures is crucial. Encouraging responsible independence helps children develop resilience and emotional maturity, addressing the more prevalent risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Aligning our perceptions of risk with reality is essential for better supporting children’s overall well-being.
Unfortunately, this complex understanding is often beyond the grasp of the “snake brain,” which influences not only personal behavior but also political action, leading to impractical laws that hinder children’s preparation for adult life.
Anxiety: In 2021-2022, 10% of children aged 3-17 were diagnosed.
Depression: In the same period, 4% of children aged 3-17 were diagnosed.
My research showed much higher that that. I then sent it through chatgpt to fix grammar mistakes. Unfortunately, it changed my figures without me noticing.
I was trying to write a letter: 1/7 likelihood of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thought vs 1/0.00023 likelihood of being snatched off the street.
Hmmm tough one. I’ll choose the 1/0.00023 likelihood because it’s easier.
If you’re going to sin against someone, sin against god. He will forgive you. A bureaucracy won’t. The system that arrested Heather has been made up by hundreds of thousands of people. This mechanized process diffuses the responsibility of all the ‘parts’ that makes up the machine. This means that it has all the warmth and compassion of a mouse trap. Common sense isn’t even aloud to intervene.
Side note. Children notoriously blame themselves. Way to go court system! Your ‘concern’ for the safety of the child will make him racked with guilt over the financial hardships his family is going through