Child Development
Fears over safety stop children from playing outside
New figures released for Playday 2010 suggest that half of all adults think it is unsafe to let a child play outside without supervision.
One in three parents believe that they would be judged harshly by their neighbours if they let their child play outside on their own. More than half of the parents surveyed (54%) said they only feel confident for their children to play outside if other children are playing out too.
However, the research also found that most parents (70 per cent) think that improving spaces for children to play outside would make their area more desirable to live in. Three-quarters of the seven- to 14-year-olds who took part in the survey also said that they wanted more time to play or 'hang out' where they live.
The ICM survey, commissioned by Play England, questioned more than 1,000 adults and children about their views on play and children’s place in the community. It found that 79 per cent of adults feel there is less community spirit now than when they were a child.
This appears to be driven by growing anxiety among adults about ‘stranger danger’ and fears about children’s safety.
Men in particular (44 per cent) said they would be wary of helping a child who asked for help because they feared they would be suspected of attempting to abduct the child. Thirty per cent of adults also said that they would be reluctant to help in case the child was abusive to them. Children also seem to be picking up on adult fears, with 71 per cent of those responding saying they are worried about being followed or abducted.
Adrian Voce, director of Play England, said, ‘This survey highlights that children are increasingly isolated and unable to play outside with friends. Parents want to give children that freedom but are worried about the dangers and about what people will think. The danger is that these anxieties are perpetuating a cycle of children being denied important opportunities to enjoy their childhood and develop healthy, active lifestyles. This is storing up huge problems for the future.
‘Children with regular access to playable spaces are much more likely to enjoy childhood and grow up healthier and happier. We need to build parents’ confidence to let their children play out, by tackling the real barriers such as traffic and the lack of good places to play. But we also need to communicate more positive messages about children in public space.
‘The Government should ensure that its Big Society programme builds up community spirit and harnesses the desire that most people have for more playable, child-friendly neighbourhoods, by providing the planning framework and the support for local people to make the changes they so clearly want.’
- This year’s theme for Playday is 'Our Place!' Free community events are going on around the country. Visit www.playday.org.uk.
