I specifically looked up this podcast to show you guys because i find it relevant to this situation. I believe any parent will find it very interesting.

http://www.npr.org/2015/01/16/377517810/world-with-no-fear

You realize children walk home from school all over the world right? This isn't something new.

not in America anymore.

There's a local elementary school nearby, I see kids walk home from school everyday. I'm not sure where you are pulling that data from. A young teenager can walk/bike home by him/herself relatively safely in most of America. Or are we just living in a world where a bit of hardship on a kid is "child abuse" now?

8 year olds and ten year olds use to walk all over the city in the 1970s and 80s