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I think the media play has a lot to do with it.

But at the same time, I don't see myself letting my children do the same things I was able to do as a kid. Playing outside meant having free run of the neighborhood to me as a kid (even when I was 5-10). I'd be gone from the house for hours. I can't imagine letting my kids out of my sight or at least off of our property when they're just 7 or 8!

Actually I think we are way more restricted and have fewer freedoms. It makes me sad that my son won't be able to bike around the neighborhood. I would worry about someone calling CPS on me. Plus he wouldn't have any friends to ride with, anyway. The whole situation sucks.

@travellingbee: I agree! My small town childhood was so idyllic and it makes me sad that we aren't raising our kids there too. Our town isn't "dangerous" per se but the crime rate is higher than where I grew up.

No, I don't feel that it's less safe. But I do feel that we live in a time and a world where kids have way less freedom, and I worry about how that will affect their indendence, and decision making.

We just moved to a new town last spring, and it has much more of a small town vibe. I was amazed to see that kids in this neighborhood are allowed to play on their own. It's wonderful.

No, the world is exactly as horrible and crazy now as ever! Maybe the specifics change, but not the overall terribleness.

ETA: I don't want to come off as glib. I recognize that families from, say, Syria or Palestine do have it very very bad. But people who fret about how unsafe the world is tend to be very sheltered.

I don't think it is less safe. I think people have different standards- I can only speak for my parents and DH's parents, because I know the situations intimately- but we were -left in cars -left home alone -left to run the neighborhood -left to eat whatever we found - walked ourselves to school. I could go on, from no seat belts to fast food- I think people have different parenting standards so the perception may be people "have to be more careful"- I think in large part they just are and that is a good thing for the most part.

I feel like the things that are happening are happening on a bigger scale, if that makes sense. Maybe I just didn't hear about them, but I don't remember there being so many mass shootings and large-scale terrorist attacks when we were growing up. Certainly not in "first world" countries with the frequency at which they're occurring now. I mean, I know stuff like that happened in the Middle East, but it wasn't here. It wasn't "at home." I think that's what makes people feel like the world - in general - is a less safe place than it used to be. Maybe I'm wrong, though...I'm going to read that article now to find out!

That being said, it does make me sad that my kids probably won't be able to have the same freedom that I did growing up. I actually think they'd be perfectly fine with that freedom, but it seems like society disagrees with me, and I'd be afraid someone would call CPS. That is really sad to me.

No - I know it is safer than when I was a kid. I hate how the 24/7 news and media scares people into believing otherwise.