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Parental Perceptions of Risk and Children’s Physical Activity

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Risk, Protection, Provision and Policy

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 12))

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Abstract

Despite the well-established mental and physical benefits of regular physical activity during childhood, many children in developed nations do not meet the recommended levels. Compared with several decades ago, children spend less of their leisure time outdoors in unstructured play and more time indoors often engaged in sedentary behaviors such as television viewing or playing with electronic entertainment media. They tend to spend less time walking and cycling from place to place and have less independent mobility (i.e., freedom to move around their neighborhoods without adult accompaniment). This chapter explores levels of active transport and independent mobility among Australian school-aged children. The concept of parental chauffeuring where children are driven to school and/or local destinations is explored as well as predictors of this behavior. Associations are examined among the following variables: parents’ perceptions of safety, of victimization, and of risk and constrained behavior. Recommendations are made for interventions or programs that aim to increase active transport and independent mobility by increasing perceptions of safety and lowering perceptions of risk.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway Burwood Victoria, 3125, Burwood, VIC, Australia

    Alison Carver

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  1. Alison Carver
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Correspondence to Alison Carver .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Claire Freeman

  2. School of Physical, Environmental and Ma, University of New South Wales Canberra, Canberra BC, Australia

    Paul Tranter

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Carver, A. (2015). Parental Perceptions of Risk and Children’s Physical Activity. In: Freeman, C., Tranter, P., Skelton, T. (eds) Risk, Protection, Provision and Policy. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 12. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-99-6_8-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-99-6_8-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-4585-99-6

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