Emerging studies indicate that lack of adult oversight during young people’s free time may increase the likelihood of conduct issues, delinquency, and substance abuse, raising questions about the importance of structured leisure activities.
A growing body of research suggests that the real risk in young people’s free time is not freedom itself but a lack of structure, supervision and adult oversight. Studies focused on adolescents and younger children have linked unsupervised time with higher rates of conduct problems, delinquency and substance use, though the effect is not the same for every child.
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