With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Was childhood ever innocent?

Children are growing up too fast, says a leading author. But hasn't society always worried that young people are experiencing adulthood too soon?
Fat, spoilt, feral and stupid. Who would be a child or teenager today? They even miss-time their coming-of-age, apparently.

"I think children act like adults at an alarmingly early age," said Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who has sold more than 30 million books. Her remarks came as a poll by her publisher suggested that more than half of parents believe childhood is now over by 11.

But a glance through recent history shows that adults have long raised concerns about children "growing up" too quickly. Did they always?
Read entire article at BBC