Should you allowed children under 12 years old to walk home alone from school?

1. 69

   Darknlovely3436posted 13 years ago

   Should you allowed children under 12 years old to walk home alone from school?
   
   Are we moving forward, when it comes to crime, or are we moving backward?

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2. 79

   BizGenGirlposted 13 years ago

   Depends on the preteen in question, the place in which they live and how much you want to shelter them or prepare them for the world

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3. 60

   nightwork4posted 13 years ago

   where i live, it is common to let even 8 year olds walk home by themselves. it is extremely rare that we hear about kids being bothered by anyone (other then the occasional bully).

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4. 85

   ComfortBposted 13 years ago

   It depends on how far school is from home and the neighborhood.
   
   Most school offer bus rides if the parents can't pick their kids up from school. And even with that, the kids still have a fews yards of walk from the bus stop to their house. Anything can happen with that short walking distance, but then anything can happen to the 12 year old right there in the home.
   
   Remember the best we can do is to commit our ways to the Lord, and pray for our kids safety. A 12 year old should know not to talk to strangers, but strange things do happen sometimes.
   
   Encourage the 12 year old to walk with groups of friends if you don't have any other option. There's is safety in numbers.

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5. 0

   mikeq107posted 13 years ago

   I am an on call school bus driver and I think it really depends on the neighborhood.
   Now a Child can be taken in any neighborhood in any part of the world.
   
   However, here in America, many People are driven by Fear and that is being capitalized on.
   
   It starts at the top with Fear of Government and then down to Fear of each other and then fear on The News daily.
   
   A sex pedophile is seen in New York and Fear spreads rapidly, it is like a bad virus.
   
   Honestly if more people spent time talking to their neighbors than listening to the profit driven media, I truly believe we would find we are no more different than we were 100 years ago, just more people.
   
   I bet the same question was asked during Roman times.
   
   I quit watching TV about 12 years ago , I question everything I hear and seriously consider the source , their maturity level / motivation.
   Remember the first Gulf war and the sale of Gas masks…then Y2K and how much money was generated by Fear…..all it takes is one tiny Flame to set a Forrest on fire and one gossipmonger to help the voters run for the cover of the next puppet master.
   All That said Just take the usual precautions and get to know your Neighbours and it will dispel a lot of fear…
   Ok That’s my ten cents..great question Thanks for Asking!!!
   Mike :0)

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6. 60

   clintonbposted 13 years ago

   Ive seen 10 year old kids travel in buses alone!

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7. 0

   adeaugustusposted 13 years ago

   Basically i would say yes. It is not a good thing to create a sense of fear of the unknown. But considering other factors, children should move i group, with friends and schoolmate when coming home.

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8. 0

   kaceybabeposted 13 years ago

   To be honest i think it all depends on the child. Some children are just not streetwise, i think parents know when there children are ready to walk home. But i do believe some parents can be OVER protective with their children and sometimes you need to give them some leeway

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9. 41

   woodamarcposted 13 years ago

   If you live in a safe community and the child is focused on purpose in doing the right things... Under the age of 12 is fine.  However this becomes more subjective with maturity of child and adult common sense in knowing the environment in which one lives.

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10. 69

    puddingicecreamposted 13 years ago

    It depends on the neighborhood, and the child. I personally am for mature children being able to walk from school (and if possible, with friends).

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11. 83

    ii3rittlesposted 13 years ago

    Depends on the distance and the neighborhood. I walked to and from school from 6th grade on. Only lived a 10 minute walk from the school though. Also, the area was not bad. Now, if I still lived in that neighborhood, and now that I am 23... I would NEVER walk ANYWHERE there. Not even down the street!

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12. 0

    jasper420posted 13 years ago

    if there mature enough and with a group of trusted freinds then yes but if there alone in defently no as far as crime goes i think we are taking a step back look around

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13. 58

    Miss Marriedposted 13 years ago

    My sister and I used to walk a mile to school, my daughter walked 5 or 6 blocks, but never alone.  Until they started riding the bus, she walked her boys to school and back everyday. With all that I read now, I wouldn't let my child walk across the street alone unless he was 6 foot - 200 pounds.
    I just heard of a child walking home for his very first time, 2 blocks, was kidnapped and killed. I heart goes out to the parents. But as BizGenGirl says, it depends on the kid and where you live.  The neighborhoods that watch out for each others families are gone.  I hope they make a come back.

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14. 61

    kd4rvbposted 13 years ago

    This can depend upon a number of factors in my opinion. Sure, I do understand there is always danger out there, be it creepy perverts or drunk drivers, even wild animals and loose pets. Distance is also a factor, is the school down the street> a few streets away? Is it in a neighborhood in the suburbs, in the middle of a large city, a small town where everyone knows everyone? The child's ability to think maturely and follow instructions is another set of factors that might fall into play.
    
    So the general answer I will give is, yes I might allow my less than 12 year old to walk home from school if the potential dangers were within an acceptable range of risk based upo the factors I've outlined. Some might question what I mean by acceptable risk but we as a child's parents are the only ones who can define this. Each based upon our own opinions and circumstances. Personally I choose not to overprotect my children though I do monitor the environment I allow them to run free within. There has to be a certain amount of freedom and trust in order to allow a child to grow and it must be balanced against the uncontrollable risks.

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15. 60

    ladyjojoposted 13 years ago

    You could depending on how far school is from the child's home, also the age of the child and it's really not safe anymore somebody may mark that child for a certain amount of time an probably make an attack (rape, bugarry etc) got to take precautionary measures

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16. 61

    Vanessa Andersonposted 13 years ago

    As a parent, I can't imagine my child at any age walking home alone.  Either myself or my husband will be driving her to and from school, then when she's old enough to drive, she can do that.

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17. 78

    Marie-Reneeposted 13 years ago

    i would like to say say yes because that would mean it is really safe for them but events in our place have shown that it's not that safe.... so i think it all depends on the neighborhood as well as the children, and of course the distance..while it is not right to scare the children of the unknown it is just but right that we educate them on possible scenarios and what they can do in different cases, there should be a balance between sheltering them and getting them ready to face the world on their own...i would feel better that they walk with friends.

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18. 70

    The Blagsmithposted 13 years ago

    I think it also depends on culture. I lived in Japan until the Tohoku earthquake and whilst there, our eldest, who is eight years of age walked all the way to school on his own. It was an expectation of Japanese children. They were all encouraged to walk on the same route so they would all meet each other at certain points. There were also traffic helpers located at the crossing points so the children could cross the roads safely.
    
    When we came back to England with the boys, we live less than 5 minutes from the school but the community here as well as many who live in England expect all parents to accompany their children and if parents are not available then a responsible adult (usually a family member) would be expected to escort them.

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19. 56

    poetvixposted 13 years ago

    While I did it myself, I would be very careful about letting any child do it now even older than 12.  As many have stated, it depends on the neighborhood to some degree.  I think if this was something I was going to try with a child, I would do some role play with the child to allow them practice in certain situations, be sure they had a cell phone with the emergency services and family numbers already programmed in, invest in a backpack for them with a pull cord alarm and have a tracking app for said child's phone.  Further, I would want a call from the child letting me know when they arrived.  I know this all probably sounds like a bit much. 
    I am a teacher and you would not believe the crazy, horrible things I have seen happen to even the best prepared children, from strangers trying to get them in cars, to one getting snake bit.  While I totally agree with what others have mentioned that children need to be allowed a certain level of independence to grow, we can't gloss over the sad fact that "sh_t happens."

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20. 67

    elenagarciaposted 10 years ago

    i walked hom from school starting around that age, but i am from a very small town (graduation class of 32 students) and lived on about four blocks down from the school i attended.  i definately think it depends on the living situation.  i would not recommend a child of that age being allowed to walk home from school if say they child lived in a big city or a rough neighborhood.  to a certain extent it can depend on the child.  if it were to be say an environment such the one i grew up in, a small quiet town, the child can be taken into consideration as far as how they feel about it.  basically, it's a judgement call based on the child's environment.  yet another tough decision for a parent.

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