How Safe is Too Safe?
In this video Jonathan Haidt discusses the problem of too much safety for kids: https://youtube.com/shorts/RiSXCt0gQdQ?si=ClwaCsjY8t9QjcC8
We also know from the work of Amalberti and Taleb, that hyper-safety creates risk fragility.
So, where is the balance?
The question that all safety people need to juggle is the balance between too much safety and the need for learning in risk.
When we lived in the Riverland between 1976-86 we had the joy of going to Monash Playground, and it was free. A local engineer made the best rides. Now they are all gone. You can read about it here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-01/monash-playground-engineer-grant-telfer-statue-honour/100911254
Here is what you could ride in the day back then.
Jonathan Haidt makes the point that things are good if kids can get hurt! Hmmm, who wants to hear that message in safety? Particularly when, Safety wants to get into schools and make kids even more anxious about harm!
The last thing we need in schools is more Safety Evangelism.
We have enough geeks and heroes in safety now without the excesses of hyper-safety in schools (https://safetyrisk.net/indoctrination-risk-and-learning-with-childhood-in-mind/).
Having worked in schools for some time, I know that teachers know much more about childhood development than safety gurus. Teachers know much more about what kind of risk kids should have than safety crusaders. Teachers know much more about education and learning than a safety expert with 5 meaningless safety post-nominals after their name.
Sure, we don’t want children to get hurt but neither do we want safety heroes in schools or programs on safety to indoctrinate children in fear. There is no learning without risk.
You can read more about creating risk averse children here: https://rethinkingchildhood.com/no-fear/
The book No Fear: Growing up in a risk averse society argues that childhood is being undermined by the growth of risk aversion. You can download the book for free through the link above.
The key is to get the balance right and Jonathan Haidt is right, some harm is good for children. So how do we get that balance right? Certainly not by asking safety gurus, safety crusaders and safety geeks.
Prof. Robert Long
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