[robochat42]

I think that this has been largely caused by the media. Every time that a child was attacked or taken in the UK during my childhood, the press would go crazy for weeks. 'Stranger Danger' was a phrase that often came up. The resulting parental hysteria restricted the freedom of children and now it has become normalised. Now it is negligent to allow your kids to roam free and you might get in trouble for it.