Actually I believe (don't have them handy) that the real crime statistics do in fact show that this sort of crime is actually going *down* and has for the last couple of decades at least. But *more* local stories are blasted to national news and people have the *perception* that this is happening more often. People are overreacting to a hyped fear, and the hyped fear is there to sell advertising time.
This doesn't mean that parents and kids should suddenly get stupid and go around taking candy from strangers. BUT I do think that -on balance- kids are worse off for not playing outside hour after hour with the other neighborhood kids, like we used to.
Agreed.... And there's no easy answer. I think our childhood was perfect, we had forts and trails through the woods, and knew every inch of our neighborhood. Now they stay shut indoors and watch tv and parents chew their fingernails if a kid wants to play outside or join a club. I don't think it HAD to have changed so much.