Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-12T22:14:12.426Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Home alone: Does child self-care constitute a problem?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

Penny Sih  and
Rosalyn Shute
Penny Sih
Affiliation:
School of Psychology Flinders University of South Australia
Rosalyn Shute*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology Flinders University of South Australia
*
School of Psychology, Flinders University of South Australia, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Self-care in primary school age children (the ‘latchkeyphenomenon’) is often regarded as problematic, threatening children’s psychological and physical well-being, although suggestions that it is beneficial are also sometimes made. It is likely that more Australian children are being expected to look after themselves with reducing formal out-of-school hours care facilities. This paper reviews the available evidence on the effects of self-care. It concludes that it is not possible to state categorically that self-care has either negative or positive effects on children’s psychological well-being, as a range of factors influences outcome, for example, the children’s age, family relationships and whether sibling care is involved. Although under-researched, the physical safety of children without adult supervision remains a concern. It is concluded that, while many children will emerge well from the self-care experience, others will not, and that it is therefore important that affordable out-of-school hours care facilities continue to be made available to families.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , 2000 , pp. 26 - 31
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander, N.P. (1986) ‘School-age child care: Concerns and challenges’, Young Children, 2(1), 3–10.Google Scholar
Alter, J. (1998) ‘It’s 4:00 p.m. Do you know where your children are?’, In Jurm, E.N. & Boyatzis, C.J. (Eds.), Child Growth and Development, 6th Ed. (pp. 173–176), Guilford, Connecticut: Dushkin/McQraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Belsky, J. & Steinberg, L.D. (1978) ‘The effects of day care: A critical review’, Child Development, 49, 929–949.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berman, B.D., Winkleby, M., Chesterman, E. & Boyce, W.T. (1992) ‘After-school child care and self-esteem in school-age children’, Pediatrics, 89(4), 654–659.Google Scholar
Cain, V.S. & Hofferth, S.L. (1989) ‘Parental choice of self-care for school-age children’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 65–77.Google Scholar
Cole, C. & Rodman, H. (1987) ‘When school-age children care for themselves: Issues for family life educators and parents’, Family Relations, 36, 92–96.Google Scholar
Edgar, D. & Sharman, L. (1990) ‘Recent Australian research: New facts and findings from the third Australian family research conference’, Family Matters, 26, 39–45.Google Scholar
Flynn, C.P. & Rodman, H. (1989) ‘Latchkey children and after-school care: A feminist dilemma?’. Policy Studies Review, 8(3), 663–673.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galambos, N.L. & Maggs, J.L. (1991) ‘Out-of-school care of young adolescents and self-reported behavior’, Developmental Psychology, 27(4), 644–655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howie, P.M. (1996) ‘After-school care arrangements and maternal employment: A study of the effects on third and fourth grade children’, Child and Youth Care Forum, 25(1), 29–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kraizer, S., Whte, S., Fryer, G.E. Jr & Miyoshi, T. (1990) ‘Children in self-care: Anew perspective’, Child Welfare, 69(6), 571–581.Google Scholar
Law Reform Commission (1994) Child care for kids. Review of legislation administered by Department of Human Services and Health, Report No. 70, interim, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Levene, S. (1996) ‘Is there more to parental supervision than political incorrectness?’, Injury Prevention, 2(1), 10–11.Google Scholar
Long, T.J. & Long, L. (1982) ‘Latchkey children: The child’s view of self-care’, ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 211229, Arlington, VA: Educational Resources Information Center Documents Reproduction Service.Google Scholar
Moyle, H., Meyer, P. & Evans, A. (1997) Outside school hours care services in Australia 1996, Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (Children’s Services Series Number 3).Google Scholar
Nash, J.K. & Fraser, M.W. (1998) ‘After-school care for children: A resilience-based approach’, Families in Society, 79(4), 370–383.Google Scholar
Padilla, M. & Landreth, G.L. (1989) ‘Latchkey children: A review of the literature’, Child Welfare, 68(4), 445–454.Google Scholar
Peterson, L. (1984) ‘The “Safe at home” game: Training comprehensive prevention skills in latchkey children’, Behavior Modification, 8(4), 474–494.Google Scholar
Peterson, C. (1996) Looking forward through the lifespan: Developmental Psychology, (3rd Ed), Sydney: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Pettine, A. & Rosen, L.A. (1998) ‘Self-care and deviance in elementary school-age children’, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(5), 629–643.Google Scholar
Pettit, G.S., Bates, J.E., Dodge, K.A. & Meece, P.W. (1999) ‘The impact of after-school peer contact on early adolescent externalising problems is moderated by parental monitoring, perceived neighborhood safety and prior adjustment’, Child Development, 70(3), 768–778.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poole, M.E. & Goodnow, J. (1990) ‘The changing world of children and youth in Australia’, Journal of Child and Youth Care, 4(14), 1–18.Google Scholar
Powell, D.R. (1987) fter-school child care’, Young Children, 42(3), 62–66.Google Scholar
Powers, D.A. & Anderson, P.J. (1991) ‘Advocacy for latchkey children: A new challenge for special educators’. Teaching Exceptional Children, 23(3), 49–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, I. (1996) ‘Parental supervision: a popular myth’, Injury Prevention, 2, 9–11.Google Scholar
Rodman, H., Pratto, D.J. & Nelson, R.S. (1985) ‘Child care arrangements and children’s functioning: A comparison of self-care and adult-care children’, Developmental Psychology, 21(3), 413–418.Google Scholar
Rodman, H., Pratto, D.J. & Nelson, R.S. (1988) ‘Toward a definition of self-care children: A commentary on Steinberg (1986)’, Developmental Psychology, 24(2), 292–294.Google Scholar
Steinberg, L. (1986) ‘Latchkey children and susceptibility to peer pressure: An ecological analysis’, Developmental Psychology, 22(4), 433–439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steinberg, L. (1988) ‘Simple solutions to a complex problem: A response to Rodman, Pratto, and Nelson (1988)’, Developmental Psychology, 24(2), 295–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teal, F. (1992) ‘The use and cost of child care in Australia’, The Australian Economic Review, 1st Quarter, 3–14.Google Scholar
Vandell, D.L. & Corasaniti, M. (1988) ‘The Relation between third graders’ after-school care and social, academic, and emotional functioning’, Child Development, 59, 868–875.Google Scholar
Vandell, D.L. & Ramanan, J. (1991) ‘Children of the national longitudinal survey of youth: Choices in after-school care and child development’, Developmental Psychology, 27(4), 637–643.Google Scholar
Vromen, A. & Paddon, M. (1998) ‘Care in Crisis: The effects of funding changes on local government sponsored child care’, Sydney, NSW: Public Sector Research Centre, University of New South Wales (PRSC Paper No 54).Google Scholar
Wills, K.E., Tanz, R.R., Christoffel, K.K., Schofer, J.L., Lavigne, J.V., Donovan, M. & Kalangis, K. (1997) ‘Supervision in child injury cases: A reliable taxonomy’, Accident Analysis and Prevention, 29 (1), 133–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar