Abstract
This poster examines how children experience being home alone, with a focus on gender, and parental behaviors that may influence children’s feelings.
A population-based sample of 1076 children aged 10-14 years in the Khomas region of Namibia were invited to complete a questionnaire that included 38 items about child supervision. A total of 849 (48.8% female) indicated that they had been home alone at least once. Descriptive and inferential (t-tests, correlations) statistics were used to compare boys’ and girls’ experiences home alone and their association with certain parental behaviors.
Over half of children who had ever been home alone worried about something bad happening and over a third felt easily scared when home alone. Girls were significantly more likely to experience these feelings or to feel bored. More boys than girls reported enjoying being by themselves, getting a lot of work done, and being hungry. High parental supervision and communication (e.g., setting rules and safety measures) are associated with children’s productivity and enjoyment of time by themselves.
Girls seem to be more at risk than boys when it comes to experiencing negative emotions when home alone. Boys are more likely to experience positive feelings, such as enjoying being by themselves and getting a lot of work done. However, boys are more likely to feel hungry.
These findings can serve as a starting point for parents to have open conversations with children about their feelings about being home alone, and to reassure their children, in particular their daughters.
