Free time is one of the most important things for children as they grow up.
Apart from allowing them to rest from packed schedules, it also gives them the chance to catch up with loved ones, explore their interests and build valuable life skills outside the classroom.
But when that freedom to do whatever they want without supervision, could it potentially expose them to risky situations?
A large international study involving more than 58,000 teenagers across 21 countries suggests there may be a link.
Researchers discovered that “unstructured free time” – defined as periods without adult supervision or guided educational, cultural or athletic goals – is strongly related to violence exposure and delinquent behaviour among young people.
“The study shows that unstructured free time is a very important variable for understanding adolescents’ involvement in violence,” explains University of Sao Paulo professor and psychologist Marina Rezende Bazon, who also coordinated the Brazilian team for the study.
“It’s that time when young people wander around without a specific goal, often in contexts of vulnerability and exposure to criminal opportunities.”
The research evaluated spare time outside of the home – such as unmonitored time spent in the streets and public spaces – and inside the home, which involves online activity.
While association with bad influences was the strongest predictor of youth crime, unstructured free time was a close second across all countries surveyed.
When both of those factors are paired, however, Bazon warns it can become a very problematic combination.
Creating a safe space
These findings don’t necessarily mean that every minute of a teenager’s day must be planned.
Instead, they highlight the importance of providing safe spaces for them to spend time in outside of school hours.
The study found that a 20% reduction in unstructured free time away from home correlated with a 9.6% drop in offense prevalence and a 7.4% decrease in offense incidence.
But when it comes to free time spent online, the study found that it comes with a different set of challenges.
“Prolonged exposure to digital environments without mediation can increase exposure to content, groups, and opportunities associated with risky behaviors,” Bazon says.
However, she stresses that the digital world can’t be viewed wholly as a threat as it serves as an important space for youth socialisation.
Because of this, Bazon argues for creating conditions where they can utilise the Internet meaningfully, including better digital education and online protection aside from support for families and guardians to mediate usage.
Ultimately, the issue shouldn’t be focused on how much free time young people have and policing how they spend it. The concern should be focused on building safer, better environments available for them to use.
