What Do Parents Worry About Most
The toughest part of being a parent is getting used to (or learning to live with) an ever-present sense of worry. From the day your child is born, your instinct is to protect him or her from danger. As kids learn and interact with the world, these fears grow exponentially.
As a parent, your only wish is to keep your child safe, successful, and happy. During their formative years, there is no end to the causes of worry for a parent – but what are the most prevalent concerns in parents today, and how will being aware of them protect your child?
The Pew Research Center conducted a poll about parents’ fears in America from September to October of 2015, asking over 1,800 parents with children under the age of 18 about their biggest worries. The results of this research confirmed the main concerns of parents today, and the top three reveal what the biggest risks to our children might be.
#1: Being Bullied
The top concern (60%) for parents is that their child will be bullied. This was especially true for families with higher incomes ($75,000 or higher). The fear of being bullied is a persistent one for parents who only want to see their children lifted up. Since parents do not have control over the actions of the people their child interacts with – at school and in the streets – this is a big concern. Parents have focused on bullying for decades, and the issue seems to only be growing worse with the development of cyberbullying.
#2: Struggling With Anxiety or Depression
Fifty-four percent of parents polled said this was their main concern, pointing to an increased tendency among youth to feel overwhelmed or somehow lacking. Suicide is the second leading cause of non-natural death in San Diego, and it is a cause for concern among local parents. This is linked to the fear that a child will be bullied, as bullies can create new feelings of anxiety and depression.
#3: Being Kidnapped
Kidnapping was not parents’ main concern, but it is still a contender. Exactly half (50%) of parents citing it as a cause for fear. While studies have historically shown that abductions by strangers are not common, abduction by people the parents know are much more likely. For example, parents in an estranged marriage or difficult custody battle may fear their spouses will kidnap and endanger their children. Other juvenile disappearances are the result of running away from home.
The other five concerns, in order, were getting beat up or attacked (45%), getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant (43%), having problems with drugs or alcohol (41%), getting shot (31%), and getting in trouble with the law (27%).
What You Can Do to Protect Your Children
At Liljegren Law Group, we are dedicated to the utmost protection of each and every one of our clients. This extends to their loved ones and especially to children, who are easy prey to the dangers of bullying, attacks, and kidnappings. If you have the slightest fear of anything harming your child, contact us immediately for a consultation. There are many legal options you can take to protect your child, such as enacting a restraining order or pressing charges against harmful bullying.
Whether physical or mental personal injury has occurred or you simply think it might occur, you should contact a professional attorney without hesitation. Stopping a problem before it has the chance to harm your family is the best way to guarantee their safety.
Our caring professionals are practiced in the many possibilities of child injury, including playground accidents and psychological issues. In San Diego, the Liljegren Law Group is your proud child injury representative.