Citation

Mack KA, Dellinger AM, West BA. J. Saf. Res. 2012; 43(3): 223-226.

Affiliation

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Conrol and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia USA. Electronic address: kmack@cdc.gov.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsr.2012.06.001

PMID

22974688

Abstract

PROBLEM: This study describes adult opinions about child supervision during various activities. METHODS: Data come from a survey of U.S. adults. Respondents were asked the minimum age a child could safely: stay home alone; bathe alone; or ride a bike alone. Respondents with children were asked if their child had ever been allowed to: play outside alone; play in a room at home for more than 10minutes alone; bathe with another child; or bathe alone. RESULTS: The mean age that adults believed a child could be home alone was 13.0years (95% CI=12.9-13.1), bathe alone was 7.5years (95% CI=7.4-7.6), or bike alone was 10.1years (95% CI=10.0-10.3). There were significant differences by income, education, and race. DISCUSSION: Assessing adult's understanding of the appropriate age for independent action helps set a context for providing guidance on parental supervision. Guidelines for parents should acknowledge social norms and child development stages. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Knowledge of social norms can help guide injury prevention messages for parents.

Language: en