The Dangers of Children Playing in the Streets and Neighborhoods

As a modern parent, it's easy to feel anxious and wary when thinking about our children playing outside unsupervised. As I was driving down a local side street during school holidays, I was surprised to see a small group of kids scatter off the road. This moment made me reflect on how unusual it is to see kids play freely in our neighborhoods anymore. Even in quiet suburban areas, it's rare to see a group of children playing on the footpath or in local parks. So, where are they all?

Where Are the Kids?

My guess is that they are either inside playing on devices or confined to playing in backyards during play dates or enrolled in supervised structured activities. While this might seem reassuring, it also raises the question of whether our caution and the societal changes contributing to it are truly necessary. Let me share my experience. When I was a child, we were always out and about by ourselves by the age of six. I used to leave the house before my parents were up and go play with the neighbors. Today, the very thought of my eight and ten-year-old boys doing that makes my blood run cold. Why is that?

Why Are We Worried?

Is it really more dangerous out there now, or are we just more aware of the potential dangers that can happen? High profile cases of missing children in Australia such as William Tyrell and Daniel Morcombe, along with international cases like Madeleine McCann, are regularly in the media. Regular AMBER alerts for missing children and news of attempted abductions across the country contribute to a heightened state of awareness. It's natural for parents to worry about the safety of their children.

The Harsh Reality

Children have always gone missing. well-documented historical cases include the three Beaumont children in 1966, Sian Kingi in 1987, and Keyra Steinhardt in 1999. In fact, the more I research, the more I want to keep my children under my constant watch. But, in a country with around 4.4 million children under the age of 15, one can't help but ask, what is the real risk for children in Australia today?

Statistical Insights

When trawling through the data, it is difficult to get a clear picture because of incongruent reporting across the years and states. Comparing overall crime rates from 1993 to 2013 shows that the homicide rate decreased over time, as did kidnapping and abduction. However, reported instances of sexual assault increased during this period.

Surprising Statistics

The most intriguing statistics I came across indicate that perpetrators of crimes against children are usually people they know. According to a 2007 study, 91% of murder victims under 10 years were killed by a parent or step-parent. In 2012, children aged 0–9 years who were victims of sexual assault were least likely to be victimized by a stranger (5%), but were most likely to be victimized by a family member (31%). Overall, only 28% of assault victims were assaulted by strangers. This means that children are at most risk from the people they know rather than unfamiliar individuals, as one might assume.

Key Concerns

Australia has the highest rate of parental child abduction per capita in the world. It is estimated that 2 to 3 children are abducted by a parent out of and into Australia each week. Another 650 children are abducted by parents within Australia annually. This explains all those AMBER alerts! It is important to note that parental abductions are not generally reported as missing persons. In 2015, data indicated that only 9% of missing person reports related to children aged 0 to 12 years. An estimated 98% of missing children were found alive.

Mortality Rates

The death rate among children aged 1-14 years has decreased by 41% between 1997 and 2012, with 48% of deaths considered to be avoidable, such as traffic accidents.

Conclusion

Statistically, it seems that your child is safer playing in the park down the street with neighborhood kids than if you travel frequently in a car or go through a spousal relationship breakdown. Of course, it is impossible to know how many "near miss" cases there are where children have been approached by a stranger and escaped. Ultimately, your child's safety and the measures you take to ensure it are up to you. Teaching your children how to keep themselves safe is undoubtedly the best protection you can give them. Resources such as the "Keeping Kids Safe!" program from the Daniel Morcombe Foundation Inc. are a great place to start.