Parents of College Students

Actually, there's such a broad difference between what's happening on the coasts in the US and what is happening in the heartland, I wouldn't automatically apply any study done in the US to where I live either.  In general, the midwest tends to be much more conservative and "old fashioned" than either coast, so study statistics gathered in NYC or LA don't automatically translate to what is happening in the midwest or south.  And any study conducted exclusively in large urban areas often doesn't represent life in more rural areas.  On another board there was a debate several months ago about at what age is it appropriate to allow a child to attend the movies without

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Very good points.  For me, I always thought Americans were really just way too over-cautious with the "stranger danger" stuff---really overblown.  I tended to be rather liberal with my kids and allow them personal freedom as soon as I could do so.