Last week the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation released a publication titled ‘No Fear, growing up in a risk averse society’. The main thrust of the report is that growing up in an over controlled environment has affected children in an adverse way.
For example, the report mentions that in 1971, 8 out of 10 children aged 7 or 8 walked to school by themselves. By 1990 this figure was less than 1 in 10. Also, children today spend 4 times as much time being looked after their parents as they did in 1975. The result is that children today have far less unstructured free time and are allowed to take far fewer risks than they did in the past.
Taking risks and overcoming problems plays an important part in the development of children, argues the report and the suppression of this natural desire amongst children to explore, take risks and have more freedom by an overbearing nanny society only stores up problems for later in the child’s life.
Taking risks enables a child’s development by promoting a sense of entrepreneurialism, resilience and self confidence. It also enables the gradual development of personal freedoms, rather than a sudden release from control later in life.
The report raises a number of interesting issues. How relevant do you think such research is in the field of excluded young people? Can we learn lessons from 1975 or is the world of today simply too detached from that era?
It is interesting to read your post, Seb. I was thinking something along the same lines just a couple of days ago.
In fact, we live in a society where we need to be a lot more protective towards ourselves and the ones we love. And that, as you say, is taking the freedom and the joy away from our lives. And although I believe that the challenges and risks you face when you are young will make you grow up to be a stronger, better individual, I feel that the challenges and dangers, today, are too big to risk. It’s not about falling and bumping with your head, it is about being kidnapped or killed because of a handful of coins.
And that plays on your mind no matter what.