Children's perceptions of safety in their school path: the case of the Basque Country

In spite of the benefits of commuting to school actively and autonomously, this is not a common habit shown by children in contemporary societies. One of the main determinants of deciding whether or not to walk to school alone is often the perception of risk that children and their families have of their environment. In this regard, this research aims to analyze the factors that children themselves consider important when assessing whether their neighborhoods, towns, or cities are safe environments. The results suggest that at least four key factors influence children's perceptions of safety: trusting (or not) people in the streets, the size of the village, police presence, and road safety. It was also found that girls were more concerned about the dangerous people they might meet along the way, and boys were more concerned about structural aspects such as the size of the town or the distance to be traveled to school. Thus, there is a need to develop policies and municipal plans linked to cultural and pedagogical approaches that work on children's fears in order to promote transitable and secure environments and neighborhoods.