Stranger danger changed the way children play

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British children's play has been transformed in the last 100 years. Up to the 1960s there were few children who didn't spend much of their free time outdoors, playing in the fields, parks, streets, back alleys, old bombsites and local beauty spots.

This play was unsupervised by mum or dad and children were free to go on adventures far from home. Sadly this world of independent child's play has today largely vanished. One of the important reasons for this decline is the inexorable rise of stranger danger and child abduction in modern Britain.

It was in the mid 1960s that this new threat to children's freedom really took hold of the popular imagination. Child murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley helped change the nation's attitude towards children's outdoors play. Their sadistic crimes became one of the most sensational television news stories of the 60s.

The impact this had on children's play is vividly recalled by many growing at the time.

"I still remember the feelings of terror at seeing Myra Hindley's face on the news, there was a kind of loss of innocence, you didn't feel safe after that," says Lancashire boy Steve Wakefield, born in 1955. "Up until then parents didn't worry too much about where you went and what time you came home. But afterwards they wanted to keep you in the street and if you weren't home by the time it was getting dark they were really concerned and you got into trouble with them."

The fear that it was unwise to allow children to play outdoors without parental supervision was heightened by some other major social changes that were increasing dangers on the streets. A huge rise in car ownership and road traffic proved a big threat to children's safety and to the way working class communities used their street as a playground.

Sad

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

thats why now we read books about the pre-1960's kids and their adventures.

Enid Blyton. The Famous Five. they went in the moors, got to sleep under the stars, they rowed to an Island, and stayed there during a storm, then went off to explore a wreck. and even fought real big bad guys.

i guess having a dog reassures parents.

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Lilly wrote:

Enid Blyton. The Famous Five. they went in the moors, got to sleep under the stars, they rowed to an Island, and stayed there during a storm, then went off to explore a wreck. and even fought real big bad guys.

i guess having a dog reassures parents.

Enid Blyton had an affair whilst married.

 

Lilly wrote:

i guess having a dog reassures parents.


:Lol:

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

s.b.f wrote:
Lilly wrote:

Enid Blyton. The Famous Five. they went in the moors, got to sleep under the stars, they rowed to an Island, and stayed there during a storm, then went off to explore a wreck. and even fought real big bad guys.

i guess having a dog reassures parents.

Enid Blyton had an affair whilst married.

i thought EB was a man for a very long time. where did you hear that weird fact that has now ended popping into your head whenever you hear Enid BLyton?

ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE wrote:
Lilly wrote:

i guess having a dog reassures parents.


:Lol:

whaaaat??! its true!! in all them book they have a dog! there's always a dog or some kind of animal (Even a squirrel) in stories where kids have adventures on their own!! take...Norther Lights, whats her name and her little deamon thingy. Wouah..that idea was one crazy idea...

and Lucy Pevensie and her freaking ginormous LION Aslan. when you have a lion, you get to live in another world, be a princess, grow old AND come back to the real world in the time it takes to play hide and seek.

hmm...home alone doesnt have a pet..OH YEAH HE DOES!!! in number 3 (the only one who isnt Kevin Mcsomething) he has a little mouse!!

i have 2 cats and 2 fishes. and no adventure...

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Lilly wrote:
s.b.f wrote:
Lilly wrote:

Enid Blyton. The Famous Five. they went in the moors, got to sleep under the stars, they rowed to an Island, and stayed there during a storm, then went off to explore a wreck. and even fought real big bad guys.

i guess having a dog reassures parents.

Enid Blyton had an affair whilst married.

i thought EB was a man for a very long time. where did you hear that weird fact that has now ended popping into your head whenever you hear Enid BLyton?

ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE wrote:
Lilly wrote:

i guess having a dog reassures parents.


:Lol:

whaaaat??! its true!! in all them book they have a dog! there's always a dog or some kind of animal (Even a squirrel) in stories where kids have adventures on their own!! take...Norther Lights, whats her name and her little deamon thingy. Wouah..that idea was one crazy idea...

and Lucy Pevensie and her freaking ginormous LION Aslan. when you have a lion, you get to live in another world, be a princess, grow old AND come back to the real world in the time it takes to play hide and seek.

hmm...home alone doesnt have a pet..OH YEAH HE DOES!!! in number 3 (the only one who isnt Kevin Mcsomething) he has a little mouse!!

i have 2 cats and 2 fishes. and no adventure...

Lol they dont hav adventures bcoz theyve got a pet dog, they hav adventures coz theyre meddling kids trying new thngs.

Think abot it, the gang never got into adventures becoz of Scooby-Doo he was jst there to sorta help out Biggrin

naaah man, watcha sayin'?! its all about the dawg!! the DAWG DUDE!! everything is centered around the beast.

what the heck am i talking about?

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Sephy wrote:

Think abot it, the gang never got into adventures becoz of Scooby-Doo he was jst there to sorta help out Biggrin

He almost always sits on the villain at the end Smile