Halloween Street Safety

October 06, 2008

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Halloween Street Safety
How to keep your little trick-or-treaters safe on their rounds

by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Many of us remember a time when children could go trick-or-treating without worrying about anything worse than a stomachache. But Halloween safety has been a matter of concern for many years, and now, with new worries about terrorist attacks arising every day, the wisdom of letting your children run free for Halloween seems even more doubtful. A lot of parents will be tempted to nix trick-or-treating altogether. This strategy minimizes the risk, but at a fairly high cost: Halloween is important to many children. If you apply common-sense guidelines and take a realistic view of the likely risks, whether terrorist related or not, it should be possible for you and your children to feel comfortable while celebrating the holiday.

Trick-or-treating in malls
Since the September 11 attacks and the subsequent anthrax scares, many parents are worried about bringing their families to malls and other public places such as stadiums and movie theaters. I am not an expert on terrorism, but common sense suggests that the chances that terrorists will mount some sort of attack in any place your individual family happens to be on Halloween is very small. However, if even this remote risk makes you feel uncomfortable, there is nothing wrong with planning a different way to celebrate Halloween, be it trick-or-treating in the neighborhood or with a party.

Trick-or-treating in the neighborhood
The keys to safe trick-or-treating are supervising your children closely and inspecting the candy and other treats they bring home before letting them dig in. The safest strategy, which is probably fine with younger children, is to go with them, and only go to homes you know. Older children may demand more freedom, but you can still set reasonable limits.

Supervision.The single most important safety step is to make sure that your children have adult supervision while trick-or-treating. If your children are still young enough not to mind your company while they make their rounds, you should walk with them every step of the way. Older kids sometimes object to this, but you can still insist that you wait for them at the end of every block.

Children supervising children. Many parents rely on their older children to supervise their younger ones, but this isn't always realistic. Halloween is an exciting holiday for older kids, too, and the temptation to go off and do their own thing might well overwhelm their sense of responsibility. Besides, older siblings often are embarrassed by parading around with their little brothers or sisters in tow.

Going out in groups. After age 12 or 13, children might not need direct parental supervision, but they should still go trick-or-treating in groups of at least three or four. Don't allow this unless you trust that your neighborhood is basically safe, you know most (if not all) of the other children, and your child usually shows good judgment. Cell phones can be a big help here, allowing you to check in with your child from time to time. Some children, however, will still need to have a parent on the corner. Your own instincts should be your guide.

Inspecting the treats. The only way to be completely certain of the safety of Halloween goodies is to know the people who gave them out. That's probably a good rule of thumb in any case. Since it might be hard to detect apples, oranges, and other fruit that's been tampered with, it's probably best to throw out any of these items (and not to give them out at your own door, either). Few children mourn the loss of fruit on Halloween; it's not supposed to be a nutritious holiday! The same goes for homemade baked goods and unwrapped candies. Candy in sealed wrappers is probably safe. If the wrappers look damaged at all, it's best to throw out those pieces.

Alternatives to going door-to-door
Many preteens and teens opt not to trick-or-treat at all; instead, a party with costumes and spooky decorations may be just the thing. Also, if you're not confident that your neighborhood is safe, consider alternatives to door-to-door trick-or-treating. One is to have a party either in your home, a neighborhood center, or a school. Another is to plan a traveling Halloween party, where you go to several different homes, all pre-arranged.

Striking a balance
Halloween is a favorite holiday for many children, and, even with the problems in our world right now, they should be encouraged to celebrate. All but the smallest children are aware that we are facing new threats. It's important for parents to teach their children that they can take reasonable precautions and still enjoy life. The "trick" in this year's trick-or-treating seems to be doing what feels right to you as a parent to keep your children safe while helping them to have fun.

More information:

Young Children and Scary Costumes

Enjoying Nature's Bounty in the Fall

Talk about:

Halloween


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Created October 16, 2001
Reviewed October 16, 2001

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