Is it just me? Or are there more perpetrators out there than there were 20, 30 or 40 years ago? I remember walking to the grocery store alone at age nine, riding my bike with friends (or alone) until dark at age eight. We always walked to the movie theater on Saturdays, alone, and met our little friends there.
It is the sole responsibility of the parents (or care givers), NOW, to never never never let the little ones out of their sight - not for even a moment.
Yep me too. During the summer we would disappear into the neighborhood and not return for hours and our Moms never worried.
When our ancestors first set out on the frontiers to build this nation, children were always kept in or near the home and always in sight for fear of predatory animals. But eventuality through courage, hard work, and progress we overcame those dangers.
Now thanks to the hippy generation we are back where we started.