‘Children should not be left home alone before they are at least 12’

An earlier report from researchers at the University of California, however, had suggested that leaving a child alone at home was more of a moral issue and did not always mean they were constantly in danger.

Parents tend to be paranoid about leaving children alone at home, fearing for their safety. A recently conducted survey has shown that kids should not be left at home on their own before they are at least 12 years old.

For the child, a home-alone scenario may be interpreted as a sign of neglect, especially if they are injured while left unsupervised, according to the research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2019 National Conference and Exhibition.

In cases where the child was not injured, social workers surveyed for the research believed that leaving a kid home alone for four hours was a sign of neglect when they are six years old or younger.

Is your child responsible enough to stay at home alone?

“This study recognises that there are critical connections between safety laws, advocates and professionals in child welfare, and families with small children. It takes a partnership between all of these to prevent childhood injuries,” Gerene Denning, emeritus research scientist at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, was quoted as saying.

An earlier report from researchers at the University of California, however, had suggested that leaving a child alone at home was more of a moral issue — the reason for the parent’s absence must be socially acceptable — than about safety. And that leaving children alone at home did not always mean they were constantly in danger.

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