A poll commissioned by The Times has found that most parents believe leaving a child home alone under the age of 12 should be made a criminal offence.
In total, two thirds of respondents said they want the government to set a legally binding minimum age limit, and suggested the current system of parental self-judgement provided inadequate protection for children.
The poll was conducted by YouGov, and deemed that the age of 12 was the earliest point at which most parents felt comfortable enough to leave a child alone. In total, 61% said under-12 was the minimum, whilst a quarter thought it acceptable to leave a ten-year-old for an hour and 7% for an eight-year-old.
Current laws do not stipulate an age limit, but state only that the child must not be placed at risk. Similarly, there is no age limit for babysitters.
The issue of child protection has grown over the last decade, spurred by high profile cases such as the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment whilst her parents dined with friends at a restaurant 50m away. Although the parents claimed the restaurant was always within their sight, a vitriolic debate ensued concerning the legal obligations of parents when leaving a child alone.
Speaking of the issue, Justine Roberts, chief executive of the Mumsnet forum, said: “The consensus is that it really comes down to the individual child. Some parents would happily leave their responsible eight-year-old on the sofa for ten minutes while they pop to the corner shop. Others would balk at leaving a more absent-minded 12-year-old home alone under any circumstances.”
The poll also found that three in five parents did not know what the current law was. However, response from the Government has so far diminished the likelihood of action.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “It is vital that children are kept safe and the law is clear that parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.
“Parents know their children best, and the NSPCC has produced guidance on this issue that highlights the risks of leaving their children unsupervised.”