title: Adult opinions about the age at which children can be left home alone, bathe alone, or bike alone: Second Injury Control and Risk Survey (ICARIS-2).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study describes adult opinions about child supervision during various activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data come from a survey of U.S. adults. Respondents were asked the minimum age a child could safely: stay home alone; bathe alone; or ride a bike alone. Respondents with children were asked if their child had ever been allowed to: play outside alone; play in a room at home for more than 10 minutes alone; bathe with another child; or bathe alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age that adults believed a child could be home alone was 13.0 years (95% CI=12.9-13.1), bathe alone was 7.5 years (95% CI=7.4-7.6), or bike alone was 10.1 years (95% CI=10.0-10.3). There were significant differences by income, education, and race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessing adult's understanding of the appropriate age for independent action helps set a context for providing guidance on parental supervision. Guidelines for parents should acknowledge social norms and child development stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of social norms can help guide injury prevention messages for parents.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Conrol and Prevention-CDC, Atlanta, Georgia USA. kmack@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Karin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dellinger
authors.forename: Bethany A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001494:Baths; D001642:Bicycling; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012449:Safety; D055815:Young Adult