Half of men steer clear of children in trouble for fear of being branded paedophiles

Nearly half of men would be too scared to help a child in need because they fear being branded a paedophile, a survey has found.

Forty-four per cent would be wary of coming to the aid of youngsters in their neighbourhood in case they were suspected of attempting to abduct them.

And almost a third of both men and women would be reluctant to help because they fear the child would be abusive.

Suspicion: Adults are now afraid of the consequences of helping a child

Such fears are behind a weakening of community spirit that has left children increasingly isolated, and more likely to stay indoors, according to the findings.

The children's charity Play England, which commissioned the survey, warned that youngsters were missing out on opportunities to play outside their homes.

Children typically have just six friends within walking distance of where they live - down from 14 a generation ago - the ICM survey of 2,000 adults and children found.

As well as having fewer friends close by, nearly half of youngsters are not allowed to play outside unless supervised by an adult.

And while 90 per cent of adults played regularly in the street as children, 30 per cent of today's youngsters aged seven to 14 never get the chance.



Play England said youngsters grow up happier and healthier if they are able to play safely outside.

But 21st century children tend to be cooped up indoors amid a lack of neighbourly concern, misplaced safety fears and, in some cases, poor traffic management.

'Children are experiencing a very different childhood to previous generations, with freedom curtailed, and safety concerns exacerbated,' the report said.

Some parents were worried their neighbours would 'judge' them if they left their children to play in the street unsupervised.

Others felt their children might 'annoy' neighbours, for example by playing ball games or using chalk to draw on the pavement.

However, these activities were considered acceptable a generation ago, according to the research.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent of parents with under-fives thought it was 'common' for children to be abducted by strangers while playing outside.

There was also evidence that adult worries were being picked up by children, with 17 per cent concerned about being followed or taken by strangers - a danger ranked above all others.

Adrian Voce, director of Play England, said: 'More than half the parents we spoke to told us they only felt confident for their children to play outside if other children were playing out too.

'The danger is that these anxieties are perpetuating a cycle of children being denied important opportunities to enjoy their childhood and develop healthy, active lifestyles.

'This is storing up huge problems for the future.'

The survey was released ahead of tomorrow's Playday 2010, which aims to get thousands of children across the country out to play through a series of locally-organised events.