The phrase latch key children originates from the early 19th century, when children who lacked supervision after school would wear their house key on a string around their necks.
Children who stay home alone, either for a few hours after school during the school year or for the summer months, are commonly referred to as "latchkey children." The phrase "latchkey" originates from the early 19th century, when children in a similar situation would wear the key to their home tied to a string they wore around their neck and were responsible for their own care.
Sadly, finding young children at home without adult supervision has become an epidemic in America. Both physical epidemics, such as disease, and emotional epidemics, such as the Salem Witch Hunts, tend to initiate in the most vulnerable areas and subsequently ripple outward. Latchkey children were once found only among the lower classes, but the situation has gradually spread to the middle and upper classes. The same is true of adolescent violence. In the past, shootings and stabbings were associated primarily with inner city, or poverty stricken areas permeated with abusive families and neglectful schools. However in recent times, the "teen violence" epidemic has infiltrated society at every economic level. An increase in the number of working mothers, as well as single-parent families, combined with a decrease in extended families that once helped with childcare, have contributed to the growing ranks of latchkey kids.
Unsupervised children with little to do after school have been a concern of educators and policy makers for decades. When a lack of supervision combines with other risk factors such as substance abuse at home, physical or sexual abuse, low self-esteem or learning difficulties, the likelihood of poor developmental outcomes that translate into acts of rage can increase greatly. Many surveys have shown that young people from problematic backgrounds or especially difficult circumstances, most particularly latchkey children, are more likely to exhibit violent behaviors as a way to express their emotional turmoil. In an effort to prevent these problems, extensive research needs to be done to determine the most effective approach to redirect these individuals' negative emotions and behaviors towards more productive outlets.
Adolescents who fall under the classification of "latchkey children" are more likely than others of the same age group to experience feelings of rage and isolation and to express those emotions in a physically aggressive manner. While there are certainly genetic and biological factors involved in the development of an adolescent's propensity towards acting out their feelings of rage and isolation, environment also plays a key role in this arena. Sociologists have found that many latchkey children, because they are frequently raised in dysfunctional families, are taught by example to be manipulative, secretive and unpredictable. They often instinctively develop a sense of timing and management of their emotions. These are skills that can be easily and directly used to portray a false picture of themselves and their living situation.
By drawing upon the attitudes, physical reactions and behaviors revealed in case studies and other sociological and psychological research, we can to better understand the negative feelings associated with isolation that many latchkey children experience. But not until we address the core issue of poor parenting can we truly begin to eliminate the problem.
