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Gender Differences in Caregivers' Attitudes to Risky Child Play in Britain: A Cross-Sectional Study

Andrea D Smith1, Helen F Dodd2, Luiza Ricardo1

  • 1MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Journal of Physical Activity & Health
|January 22, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Parental attitudes towards risky play show gender differences, particularly for specific activities. While overall attitudes were similar, male caregivers and parents of boys displayed higher risk tolerance and permissiveness towards adventurous play.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Parenting Studies
  • Risk Perception

Background:

  • Investigates gender disparities in parental attitudes towards children's risky play.
  • Focuses on children aged 5-11 years in Britain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine gender differences in parental risk tolerance and attitudes towards children's play.
  • To explore caregiver attitudes regarding protection from injury and engagement with risk in play.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the British Child Play Survey (N=1919 caregivers).
  • Employed the Tolerance for Risk in Play Scale (TRiPS) and Risk Engagement and Protection Survey (REPS).
  • Applied multiple linear regression to compare gender differences in risk tolerance and attitudes.

Main Results:

  • No significant overall gender differences in mean TRiPS, REPS-EWR, or REPS-PFI scores.
  • Activity-specific differences were observed in 15 out of 31 risky play activities.
  • Parents of boys showed higher risk tolerance and willingness for risky play compared to parents of girls.

Conclusions:

  • Overall parental attitudes towards risky play did not differ by caregiver gender.
  • Gender differences emerged in specific play activities, with males showing higher tolerance for riskier activities.
  • Parents of boys exhibited more permissive attitudes, suggesting a need to explore variations in interventions supporting adventurous play.
Abstract

Keywords:
parentspediatricsrisk-taking

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