Childhood increasingly impacted by stifled independence
On World Children’s Day, Intelligent Health brings urgent focus to the state of childhood independence. Children’s health, wellbeing and development are being severely impacted by lack of action to address the barriers to independent mobility and outdoor play.
Childhood independence, marked by milestones like walking to school alone or playing outside unsupervised, is a crucial aspect of growing up. These experiences foster resilience, confidence, and problem-solving skills, preparing children for the complexities of adulthood. Yet, recent data from Beat the Street, a nationwide community engagement programme, reveals significant shifts in how children experience independence today.
Developed by Intelligent Health, Beat the Street has engaged over 1.9 million participants working with councils and national partners. It has been designed to enhance connections between people and their environment. For children it helps build independence, confidence and movement.
Founded on a strong belief that health begins where people live, work and play, Intelligent Health aims to build active and connected communities through evidence-based programmes.
Recent findings show a dramatic decline in children’s independent mobility over the last five decades. In 1971, 86% of primary school children in England travelled home alone; by 2013, this had dropped to 25%. Intelligent Health conducted insight into independence with Dr Helen Dodd in order to explore the relationship between children’s independence, resilience and wellbeing. Through Beat the Street, Intelligent Health has collected 7125 responses from children. Yet, Beat the Street findings highlight that only 17.7% of children aged 11 and under now walk or cycle home without adult supervision.
Dr William Bird MBE, founder of Intelligent Health, comments:
“If you ask someone in their 50s or older how they moved as a child, their experience would be dramatically different from the data we are seeing today. The loss of independent mobility matters because it limits children’s ability to explore, play and build confidence in their communities. Without action to make streets safer, we risk depriving children of essential life experiences that shape their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Parental concerns such as road safety, crime, and stranger danger are key some of the key drivers behind these restrictions. While these fears are sometimes dismissed as 'perceived' or labelled as overprotective, the risks are often very real, particularly when it comes to traffic. Tragically, many policy responses have focused on educating children to avoid danger rather than addressing the root causes of these risks. The statistics speak for themselves: in 2023, 1,832 children aged 0-16 were killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions. The reality is that slower speeds, reduced road danger, and safer neighbourhoods are essential to both saving lives and restoring children’s independence.
Ingrid Skeels, co-founder Playing Out, said:
“Over recent decades, children have lost so much through the gradual erosion of their freedom to play out and get around where they live. Making streets, estates and communities safer and more welcoming for children to be out independently - playing, moving, socialising and getting around - is one of the single most impactful things we could and should collectively do to improve their health and wellbeing. And we all - Government, local authorities, housing associations, civil society organisations, communities, drivers and parents - have a role to play in making this happen."
Outdoor play, another cornerstone of childhood, has also diminished. Only 33.2% of children play outside unsupervised near their homes, compared to 80% of adults aged 55-64 when they were children. Professor Helen Dodd, a child psychologist at the University of Exeter, warns that this decline could have far-reaching consequences:
"To have just 27% of children playing outside today compared to 80% in the past represents a huge change to childhood experiences. It’s logical to expect this to affect young people’s development, social skills, and mental health."
Beat the Street findings further highlight inequities in childhood independence based on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and disability. Children from the most deprived communities often gain independence earlier out of necessity, but as they grow older, those from more affluent backgrounds enjoy greater freedom. Disparities in access to resources exacerbate the issue, with only 64.6% of children from deprived areas owning a bike, compared to 89.5% of those in wealthier areas. For children with disabilities, barriers include reduced access to bikes and lower levels of perceived safety when navigating public spaces.
Beat the Street offers a solution by encouraging physical activity and safe, independent exploration of local environments. Through its interactive game, children and families are incentivised to walk, cycle, and move around their communities.
In October, Intelligent Health cited the findings in its response to the Play Commission Call for Evidence. The submission highlighted the need for children and young people's inclusion in the decision-making process, upscaling existing best practice and considering global examples to encourage greater childhood autonomy and play.
As society grapples with balancing safety and independence, Beat the Street is supporting the call for more autonomy for children. On this World Children’s Day, the data is clear: we must create environments where children can explore, play, and grow independently. This means investing in safer neighbourhoods, reducing resource disparities, and shifting societal attitudes towards childhood autonomy.
Childhood independence is not just a milestone - it is a right.
Photo credit: Intelligent Health
