Children's Independent Movement in the Local Environment

This paper presents findings from the project CAPABLE (Children's Activities, Perceptions And Behaviour in the Local Environment) carried out at University College London to explore the concept of independent behaviour by children, by examining variation by age, gender and access to open space to see how independence affects their behaviour, both in terms of how they use their time after school and how they behave when outdoors. A further objective is to look at differences between boys and girls in this type of behaviour. Based on findings from questionnaires completed by children aged 8-11 in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, it is shown that most of the children are allowed out without an adult, but that but many of these, particularly girls, are only allowed out with other children. It is also shown that children, particularly boys, who are allowed out without an adult go out more after school, and so have more chance to be active and sociable. The paper then uses data from children who have been fitted with physical activity monitors and GPS (global positioning system) monitors and asked to keep diaries, to show how children's travel behaviour differs when they are with adults from when they are not. Conclusions are drawn in terms of the evidence from this research supporting policies that children should be allowed out more without an adult and with increasing children's volume of physical activity.