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Last spring, I worked on an article by a psychologist about the benefits of the hands-off parenting style common in Denmark. The diplomas for using a knife safely awarded to Danish preschoolers and the country’s junkyard playgrounds seemed worlds away from the bubble-wrapped experiences of many 21st-century American children.
It left me wondering how this overprotective style of parenting, sometimes called “helicopter parenting,” emerged. I suspected sensational crime coverage, declining community trust and rising parental anxiety played a role. But University of Dayton law professor Jennifer L. Brinkley argues that child abuse and neglect laws may also contribute.
The intent of these laws is to protect children. Yet, as Brinkley writes, “in an effort to ensure instances of true neglect don’t fall through the cracks, state laws typically use vague language.” Ambiguous phrases such as “improper supervision” can ensnare parents like Karyann Parkinson, who was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and placed on Virginia’s child abuse and neglect registry after allowing her 5-year-old son to collect goose feathers unattended in their gated community.
Brinkley notes that a number of states are amending their laws, but explains why they may not go far enough – and how parents can still face serious consequences for allowing children a measure of independence.
