IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v9y2012i9p3134-3148d19782.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Risky Play and Children’s Safety: Balancing Priorities for Optimal Child Development

Author

Listed:
  • Mariana Brussoni

    (Department of Pediatrics, School of Population and Public Health, British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children’s Hospital, L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, V6H 3V4 BC, Canada)

  • Lise L. Olsen

    (British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Child and Family Research Institute, L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, V6H 3V4 BC, Canada)

  • Ian Pike

    (Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Child and Family Research Institute University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children’s Hospital, L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, V6H 3V4 BC, Canada)

  • David A. Sleet

    (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Highway NE F-62, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA)

Abstract

Injury prevention plays a key role in keeping children safe, but emerging research suggests that imposing too many restrictions on children’s outdoor risky play hinders their development. We explore the relationship between child development, play, and conceptions of risk taking with the aim of informing child injury prevention. Generational trends indicate children’s diminishing engagement in outdoor play is influenced by parental and societal concerns. We outline the importance of play as a necessary ingredient for healthy child development and review the evidence for arguments supporting the need for outdoor risky play, including: (1) children have a natural propensity towards risky play; and, (2) keeping children safe involves letting them take and manage risks. Literature from many disciplines supports the notion that safety efforts should be balanced with opportunities for child development through outdoor risky play. New avenues for investigation and action are emerging seeking optimal strategies for keeping children “as safe as necessary,” not “as safe as possible.” This paradigm shift represents a potential for epistemological growth as well as cross-disciplinary collaboration to foster optimal child development while preserving children’s safety.

Suggested Citation

  • Mariana Brussoni & Lise L. Olsen & Ian Pike & David A. Sleet, 2012. "Risky Play and Children’s Safety: Balancing Priorities for Optimal Child Development," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:9:y:2012:i:9:p:3134-3148:d:19782
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/9/9/3134/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/9/9/3134/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi & Jeremy Hunter, 2003. "Happiness in Everyday Life: The Uses of Experience Sampling," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 185-199, June.
    2. repec:mpr:mprres:4373 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mariana Brussoni & Rebecca Gibbons & Casey Gray & Takuro Ishikawa & Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter & Adam Bienenstock & Guylaine Chabot & Pamela Fuselli & Susan Herrington & Ian Janssen & William Picket, 2015. "What is the Relationship between Risky Outdoor Play and Health in Children? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-32, June.
    2. Oliver, Brooke E. & Nesbit, Rachel J. & McCloy, Rachel & Harvey, Kate & Dodd, Helen F., 2023. "Adventurous play for a healthy childhood: Facilitators and barriers identified by parents in Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    3. David A. Sleet, 2018. "The Global Challenge of Child Injury Prevention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-7, September.
    4. Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter & Ole Johan Sando & Rasmus Kleppe, 2021. "Associations between Children’s Risky Play and ECEC Outdoor Play Spaces and Materials," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-15, March.
    5. Òscar Flores & Anabel Ramos-Pla & Isabel del Arco, 2022. "The Management of Safety Situations and Assumable Risk during Transitions and Recesses in Different Types of Schools," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Charlotte Jelleyman & Julia McPhee & Mariana Brussoni & Anita Bundy & Scott Duncan, 2019. "A Cross-Sectional Description of Parental Perceptions and Practices Related to Risky Play and Independent Mobility in Children: The New Zealand State of Play Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-19, January.
    7. Mark S. Tremblay & Casey Gray & Shawna Babcock & Joel Barnes & Christa Costas Bradstreet & Dawn Carr & Guylaine Chabot & Louise Choquette & David Chorney & Cam Collyer & Susan Herrington & Katherine J, 2015. "Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-31, June.
    8. Karolina Boxberger & Anne Kerstin Reimers, 2019. "Parental Correlates of Outdoor Play in Boys and Girls Aged 0 to 12—A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-19, January.
    9. Ball, Jude & Grucza, Richard & Livingston, Michael & ter Bogt, Tom & Currie, Candace & de Looze, Margaretha, 2023. "The great decline in adolescent risk behaviours: Unitary trend, separate trends, or cascade?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    10. Amalie Lambert & Janae Vlaar & Susan Herrington & Mariana Brussoni, 2019. "What Is the Relationship between the Neighbourhood Built Environment and Time Spent in Outdoor Play? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-35, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yi-Ching Hsieh & Hung-Chang Chiu & Yun-Chia Tang & Wei-Yun Lin, 2018. "Does Raising Value Co-creation Increase All Customers’ Happiness?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(4), pages 1053-1067, November.
    2. Roe, R.A., 2005. "Studying time in organizational behavior," Research Memorandum 046, Maastricht University, Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organization (METEOR).
    3. Anna Matysiak & Letizia Mencarini & Daniele Vignoli, 2016. "Work–Family Conflict Moderates the Relationship Between Childbearing and Subjective Well-Being," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 355-379, August.
    4. Hedin, Lena & Höjer, Ingrid & Brunnberg, Elinor, 2011. "Settling into a new home as a teenager: About establishing social bonds in different types of foster families in Sweden," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2282-2289.
    5. Hajdu, Tamás & Hajdu, Gábor, 2011. "A hasznosság és a relatív jövedelem kapcsolatának vizsgálata magyar adatok segítségével [Examining the relation of utility and relative income using Hungarian data]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(1), pages 56-73.
    6. Dwight C. K. Tse & Jeanne Nakamura & Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, 2022. "Flow Experiences Across Adulthood: Preliminary Findings on the Continuity Hypothesis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2517-2540, August.
    7. Flores, Gabriela & Ingenhaag, Michael & Maurer, Jürgen, 2015. "An anatomy of old-age disability: Time use, affect and experienced utility," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 150-160.
    8. Jiri Zuzanek & Tamara Zuzanek, 2015. "Of Happiness and of Despair, Is There a Measure? Time Use and Subjective Well-being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 839-856, August.
    9. Jiri Zuzanek, 2013. "Does Being Well-Off Make Us Happier? Problems of Measurement," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 795-815, June.
    10. Matthew D Rablen, 2012. "The promotion of local wellbeing: A primer for policymakers," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 27(3), pages 297-314, May.
    11. Claudia Menne-Lothmann & Wolfgang Viechtbauer & Petra Höhn & Zuzana Kasanova & Simone P Haller & Marjan Drukker & Jim van Os & Marieke Wichers & Jennifer Y F Lau, 2014. "How to Boost Positive Interpretations? A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(6), pages 1-26, June.
    12. Mikko Inkinen & Kirsti Lonka & Kai Hakkarainen & Hanni Muukkonen & Topi Litmanen & Katariina Salmela-Aro, 2014. "The Interface Between Core Affects and the Challenge–Skill Relationship," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 891-913, August.
    13. Gamze Dane & Aloys Borgers & Tao Feng, 2019. "Subjective Immediate Experiences during Large-Scale Cultural Events in Cities: A Geotagging Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-19, October.
    14. Martijn Hendriks & Kai Ludwigs & Ruut Veenhoven, 2016. "Why are Locals Happier than Internal Migrants? The Role of Daily Life," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(2), pages 481-508, January.
    15. Chul-Ho Bum & Joon-Hee Lee & Chulhwan Choi, 2021. "The Effects of Leisure Activities on Self-Efficacy and Social Adjustment: A Study of Immigrants in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-10, August.
    16. Akay, Alpaslan & Martinsson, Peter, 2009. "Sundays Are Blue: Aren’t They? The Day-of-the-Week Effect on Subjective Well-Being and Socio-Economic Status," IZA Discussion Papers 4563, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Easterlin, Richard A., 2006. "Life cycle happiness and its sources: Intersections of psychology, economics, and demography," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 463-482, August.
    18. Lisbeth Ku, 2015. "Development of Materialism in Adolescence: The Longitudinal Role of Life Satisfaction Among Chinese Youths," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 231-247, October.
    19. Hideaki Sakawa & Fumio Ohtake & Yoshiro Tsutsui, 2015. "Activity, Time, and Subjective Happiness: An analysis Based on an Hourly Web survey," ISER Discussion Paper 0926, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    20. Rudd, Melanie & Vohs, Kathleen D. & Aaker, Jennifer, 2012. "Awe Expands People's Perception of Time, Alters Decision Making, and Enhances Well-Being," Research Papers 2095, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:9:y:2012:i:9:p:3134-3148:d:19782. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.