Her Son Walked to a Pond Alone. Now She Has a Criminal Record.
look over one’s shoulder: to keep watching for danger because you do not feel safe
Karyann Parkinson is on a government registry of parents who have neglected their children. What she did was let her son go for a walk. Sam is five. In June he asked to walk to the pond, half a mile away, to collect goose feathers. Go there, she told him, and come right back. They live in a gated community in Williamsburg, Virginia. It’s guarded day and night and only residents and approved guests can enter.
A neighbor saw Sam walking alone and reported it to the private security that works for the community. The guard brought Sam home and told Parkinson that children are not allowed outside alone.
Next, three police cars arrived, with three officers and two child protection workers. One of them later told a court that Sam seemed happy and healthy. The agency reported the case as neglect anyway.
A judge found her guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He gave her six months in jail, suspended. She will still spend seven years on the government registry, which means she is not allowed to volunteer at Sam’s school.
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt says American childhood began to change in the 1980s. Parents became very afraid of kidnappers and stopped trusting their neighbors. While some have criticized Parkinson, many parents online have defended her. They say the government should not decide how parents raise their children. Holly Moscatiello lets her daughters, ages eight and five, ride bikes to school with friends, but this case has her looking over her shoulder. “Not for them, but for me,” she says.
Sample sentences
After the company announced two hundred job cuts, everyone in the office was looking over their shoulders.
He left the gang in 1998, but he spent the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.
Once you tell one lie, you have to keep looking over your shoulder.
Read More
A Virginia mom let her 5-year-old walk alone. A debate over modern parenting ensued. (USA TODAY)
Mom found guilty of abuse for letting 5-year-old walk outside alone speaks out (CBS News)
