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I think the problem is imagined. The “problem” of safety has made its way out to the burbs now too. The public world is mostly safe, and kids are mostly capable
by thrav 7y ago
I think the problem is imagined. The “problem” of safety has made its way out to the burbs now too. The public world is mostly safe, and kids are mostly capable of navigating it on their own and in small groups — the adults in America have chosen not to believe that, and written laws forbidding parents from allowing their children to even attempt it.
These choices may have resulted in a few less kidnappings, but they’re also core to the creation of the loneliness epidemic, as kids never learn how to engage with the world on their own.
- Misdicorl 7y agoStranger danger isn't the only risk to children. Being hit by fast moving vehicle traffic is much higher on most people's worry list.
- Redoubts 7y agoWell I feel much more worried about being a pedestrian in the suburbs than in a city. Drivers seem to forget people and bikes exist unless they’re constantly reminded of their presence.
- Misdicorl 7y agoTrying to get from point A to point B? Absolutely. Just hanging around near point A? Absolutely not. Point A in the suburbs invariably has a space within 2 blocks that sees two to three cars a day (excluding rush hour).
- tathougies 7y agoI dont think ive ever seen a fast car on a dense city street (difficult to go fast when theres gridlock) whereas speeds above 55 mph were common on the 'nice' suburban street I grew up on
- Misdicorl 7y agoThe fatality rate spikes around 30mph. Most city traffic is definitely in that range (at least that I've experienced). > speeds above 55 mph were common on the 'nice' suburban street I grew up on Thats not a suburban street, thats a highway interconnecting the suburb. Non-driving connection within a suburb is certainly a huge problem.
- tathougies 7y agoI mean it was a street with on street parking, sidewalks, a school etc. I am unsure how you can make such a universal statement unless youve experienced literally every suburb in america. In san Francisco, most city traffic is less than 30 mph because of high density
- Misdicorl 7y agoA 55mph road is a highway regardless of other factors (in my opinion). Sucks that a school is on it
- tathougies 7y agoI mean if you redefine everything to fit your preconceived notions then you shouldnt be surprised that everything matches
- TulliusCicero 7y ago"If I redefine everything to fit my parameters, then nothing can contradict me." I mean, okay, but if you want to avoid being intellectually disingenuous you can't do that anymore. You don't get to just randomly redefine things until they fit your arguments better.
- api 7y agoA lot of this goes back to 80s and 90s daytime TV and its sensationalization of a small number of kidnapping cases. An example would be the Johnny Gosch case which almost single handedly ended the job of paper boy. (There is a crime podcast called Faded Out that looked deeply into this one, starting by examining the sensational claims but later finding a much more likely explanation.) The top risk to kids outdoors is cars. Strangers don't even rank. >90% of child physical or sexual assaults are committed by someone the child knows.
- JustSomeNobody 7y agoI would say John Walsh as well. On the one hand, he didn't want others to go through what he went through. On the other hand, he scared the poop out of an entire generation of TV watchers.
- api 7y agoMedia really distorts risk perception. People are afraid of random child predators, terrorists, and mass shootings when none of these things even compare to car accidents, standard issue child abuse by someone the kid knows, cancer, heart disease, etc. Another example is that people are more afraid of nuclear power than coal when coal is dirtier and drives scary things like ocean acidification and climate change. One 9/11, random kidnapping, etc. has more "virality" than a constant undercurrent of far larger risks.
- shrimpx 7y agoMy take is it's not about gross safety statistics. It's about feeling safe. A lot of unsightly activity in your hood may make it feel totally unsafe even though statistically it's pretty safe.