This month, Utah’s free-range parenting law goes into effect. The bill amends the definition of parental neglect regarding children. In Utah it is now okay for parents to let their kids play in the park alone or walk to and from school by themselves. There have been instances in the past where parents have faced legal trouble for letting their children have this independence. The first thing I thought when reading about this policy is that it doesn’t address the bigger problem and could actually create new problems.
Why? For one, parents might use the protection of a free-range parenting law as justification for neglecting their children. And two, a free-range parenting law could discourage good Samaritans from calling the police when it may be necessary. In a world where we encourage “See something, say something,” the interpretation of this new law could give people a reason to ignore child abuse. While the law stipulates that reports of “children wandering alone” will still be investigated, there will be more protection in favor of the parents and this could make the work of Child Protective Services even more difficult.
[For more on this story by George Siegal go to: http://movetheworldfilms.org/b...rent-law-a-good-idea]
Comments (1)