Stranger danger being overexaggerated?

[fireheart17]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/s...-1225935127717

Pretty much as the title says.

My thoughts? There are some instances where parents DO have a right to be wary, but otherwise kids really should just be kids.

Although I really hate the pedophile comments coming in, suggesting that kids who walk straight to a park are going to be grabbed and raped by a pervy old guy. FUnnily enough, usually it's someone you know.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Truth. Children are far more likely to be abused by family members or by close friends of family, than they are by strangers.

http://www.darkness2light.org/knowab...atistics_2.asp

* 30-40% of victims are abused by a family member. (2, 44, 76)
* Another 50% are abused by someone outside of the family whom they know and trust.
* Approximately 40% are abused by older or larger children whom they know. (1, 44)
* Therefore, only 10% are abused by strangers.

I'm not saying that stranger danger should never be taught; just that parents need to get a sense of proportion and realise that the likelihood of a nasty pervert snatching up their children is very small compared to the chances of someone that the child knows taking advantage of their innocence. What needs to be taught is stranger danger coupled with instructions on inappropriate touching and what to do in such a case; whoever it is, whether it's Mr Strange Pervert or Mr Family Friend.

[Talon]

Truth. Children are far more likely to be abused by family members or by close friends of family, than they are by strangers.

Exactly, but good luck trying to convince parents of that.

[Dreamstalker]

My mom was a single parent when I was in school, and I was a 'latchkey kid' at about age 10. As soon as she knew that I'd have to get to and from school on my own, she gave me the 'stranger danger' talk...but didn't go overboard. I was grocery shopping on my own at 12 (it helped that we lived in a small town, and the 'village characters' looked out for me).

At 16, I was far more streetwise and generally confident than a friend the same age whose mother had made sure that her schedule was filled and she was supervised as much as possible (homeschooled for no other reason than her mother didn't want her 'loose in the city').

When the ex and I broke up, he started claiming that I had 'trust issues' based on the fact that I'd been on my own at a young age

[NateSean]

I was walking to school when I was in the third grade, because the school only had one bus for the Kindergarteners and my parents didn't drive.

A guy I consider my best friend got a ride everywhere, never left his house except to go to school and spending the night at his house consisted of him being on the computer all night while I chatted with his mother.

I think of every other kid I knew who still lives with his parents now and I'm grateful to mine for cutting the umbilical chord when I turned three.

[blas87]

It may be over-exaggerated, but you should still always teach your children common sense and the fact that there ARE bad people in the world.

Children (well, anyone actually) are usually assaulted or sexually harrassed or whatever have you, by someone they know or a family member, BUT there are still those little cases here and there where it was a total stranger or a creepo on the street.

Just last night, there was a news report that an older man is going around a city about an hour and a half south of where I live, trying to pick up children. He is staying clear of school zones, but he apparently knows the routes that a lot of kids use to walk home.