RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

October 21, 1998
PARENTS CAN BE MORE SCARY THAN ACCIDENTS

Teenagers are more concerned about getting told off than the possibility of having an accident, according to the latest research commissioned by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Over 300 teenagers at two Wiltshire schools were asked to draw and write about someone their own age doing something risky. The most common example given was misbehaviour, including defying a parent, being rude to a teacher, and shoplifting.

When the children did highlight more conventional risks, such as taking drugs, some thought it was risky because they might get caught by someone in authority, rather than the potential of harm to themselves.

Very few of the teenagers named areas of potential risk such as road traffic, canals, boiling pots on cookers or playing with matches - fewer than five per cent mentioned aspects of home and water safety.

The research was carried out by Dr Jenny McWhirter, from the Health Education Unit at the University of Southampton, and her findings were presented to the RoSPA National Safety Education Committee in London, on October 23.

Maxine Craven, Research Manager at RoSPA, said: "This is part of a series of projects commissioned by RoSPA at the Universities of Southampton, London and Birmingham to help build a better understanding of how children perceive risk."

Earlier research by the University of Southampton with younger children revealed they were concerned about imaginary dangers such as ghosts and monsters, and exaggerated hazards like giant spiders, or rare hazards like crocodiles and tigers.

Martin Gomberg, RoSPA Safety Education Adviser, said: "This new research suggests that young people are more worried about being caught than being injured. Ideally, our response to risk should be focused on our understanding of what might happen and not a fear of being caught."