ingratiating strangers with candy and toys
'We are not just failing to give children the opportunities to explore the real world,' said Di McNeish, director of policy and research at Barnardo's, which carried out the study with the Green Alliance, 'but are actively dissuading them by making them over-anxious about their external environment.
The survey of more than 1,000 children aged 10 and 11 reveals that the choice to remain indoors is being made because of an increasingly unrealistic assessment by children and their parents of the risks of the outside world.
'Parents and families are more worried by these issues - out of all proportion to the reality of the risks they are exposed to,' said Eileen Hayes, the NSPCC parenting adviser, who interviewed more than 200 parents for the forthcoming Parent and Child 2004 conference.
'I have been hearing the same story again and again,' she said. 'It is terribly sad: we want to protect our youngsters, but the side-effect has been that the children are becoming too scared to step outside their front door.
'It is leading to a poverty of opportunity for today's youngsters, creating scared children who will grow into timid adults,' she said. 'They are not getting the chance to develop the independence they need to become fully grown-up adults able successfully and boldly to navigate the real world.'
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The survey found that danger was the first thing children mentioned when talking about being outside, citing a fear of strangers as reasons for not playing outside, believing they faced a high risk of being kidnapped, murdered or sexually attacked.
'Children tell us it is frightening on the street or they're told by their parents not to go outside,' said Cherry Farrow, of the Green Alliance. 'They believe the outside is dangerous because of drug dealers and that they might get kidnapped.'
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I want to yell at these people really loudly.
Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Britain/America!
In order to protect your children from strangers outside the home, you have turned them over to STRANGERS INSIDE THE HOME!!
Oh and guess what. Listen closely now.
The exaggeration of the danger of the outside world? That sense of everything outside the front door being just about to eat your kids?
IT CAME FROM THE VERY PEOPLE YOU TURNED YOUR CHILDREN OVER TO!!
THEY TOLD YOU THAT!!
SO YOU WOULD!!
TURN YOUR KIDS OVER TO THEM!!
AND YOU DID!!
SIGHT UNSEEN!!!
