Three-quarters of parents don't let children walk home from school alone
Katy Morton
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Only 25 per cent of primary school children are allowed to travel home from school alone and many can't play and travel in their local area without adult supervision, causing an adverse effect to their well-being and development, claims new resarch.
Data collected by the Policy Studies Institute at the University of Westminster in 1971, 1990 and 2010 into children’s independent mobility, shows that over the last four decades, primary school children in England have lost much of their independence.
In 2010, only 25 per cent of primary school children in this country were allowed to travel home from school alone compared with 86 per cent in 1971.
Along with travelling to and from school, the research reveals that parents are also increasingly accompanying their children on journeys made during the weekend. In 2010, 62 per cent of these journeys were accompanied by parents, compared to 41 per cent in 1971.
It goes on to show that English children continue to have less independent mobility than their German peers as was the case in 1990.
According to the authors of the research, a growing body of evidence suggests that a loss of independent mobility has adverse effects on children’s well-being and development. The benefits of greater levels of independent mobility include increased levels of physical activity among children, higher levels of sociability and improved mental well-being.
In light of the findings, the researchers call for policy to focus on addressing the dominance of traffic in both urban and rural areas, and the decline in the perceived protection afforded by having pedestrians out and about in the community so parents can feel more confident in letting their children out alone.
Ben Watson, research fellow at the Policy Studies Institute and one of the authors of the report, said, ‘Independent mobility has been shown to be good for children’s well-being and development, yet our research shows it has dropped significantly in the last four decades. The experience from Germany shows that this drop is not an inevitable result of modern life. If we care about the future health of our children, action should be taken to enable them to regain the right to a safe outdoor environment without the need for adult supervision.’
He added, ‘If children are to regain the freedoms and benefits of independent mobility they once had, a concerted programme of action will be needed to create an environment that parents feel is safe for children. Our follow-up research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, will explore how this could be done, drawing on case studies of international best practice.’
Results from the follow-up study, which will examine children’s independent mobility in 16 countries, are expected to be published towards the end of this year.
In 2010, only 25 per cent of primary school children in this country were allowed to travel home from school alone compared with 86 per cent in 1971.
Along with travelling to and from school, the research reveals that parents are also increasingly accompanying their children on journeys made during the weekend. In 2010, 62 per cent of these journeys were accompanied by parents, compared to 41 per cent in 1971.
It goes on to show that English children continue to have less independent mobility than their German peers as was the case in 1990.
According to the authors of the research, a growing body of evidence suggests that a loss of independent mobility has adverse effects on children’s well-being and development. The benefits of greater levels of independent mobility include increased levels of physical activity among children, higher levels of sociability and improved mental well-being.
In light of the findings, the researchers call for policy to focus on addressing the dominance of traffic in both urban and rural areas, and the decline in the perceived protection afforded by having pedestrians out and about in the community so parents can feel more confident in letting their children out alone.
Ben Watson, research fellow at the Policy Studies Institute and one of the authors of the report, said, ‘Independent mobility has been shown to be good for children’s well-being and development, yet our research shows it has dropped significantly in the last four decades. The experience from Germany shows that this drop is not an inevitable result of modern life. If we care about the future health of our children, action should be taken to enable them to regain the right to a safe outdoor environment without the need for adult supervision.’
He added, ‘If children are to regain the freedoms and benefits of independent mobility they once had, a concerted programme of action will be needed to create an environment that parents feel is safe for children. Our follow-up research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, will explore how this could be done, drawing on case studies of international best practice.’
Results from the follow-up study, which will examine children’s independent mobility in 16 countries, are expected to be published towards the end of this year.
