I think it is more complicated than comments here so far suggest. This is not the 1950's. I was 7 years old in 1958, living in a semi-rural community in West Virginia, with virtually 0 crime rate. At 7 years old I would not have been allowed to roam 1/2 mile away from home, alone, even in that semi-rural area. I would have been allowed to walk to a friend's house from that distance, along a rural residential road with little traffic, with the parent at the receiving end knowing I was coming and anticipating when to expect me.

Otherwise, my sisters and I, and all of our neighborhood friends, were expected to stay 1. within shouting distance of home when at 'free play' and 2. within that range, were somewhere that any parent or neighbor, who know all of us, could semi keep an eye out for us, and intervene or get there quickly if need be, for any reason. The concern was not about danger from adult human predators. It was recognition of the need for some measure of protective supervision in terms of that early stage of development.


I agree that child neglect charges are over the top, based on the little I know (and that is very little) about this instance. In my opinion, any 7 year old needs to at least be within shouting distance and always needs to have some one who clearly understands and accepts responsibility for both shouting and for being the ear responsible to hear the shouts of that particular 7 year old. Maybe I'm old fashioned. I know I'm not paranoid.