Just when parents of middle-schoolers start to feel comfortable about leaving their kids alone after school, they probably shouldn't.
People are particularly concerned about middle-school kids.
It's like apple pie and motherhood. As many as eight out of 10 polled say they would pay additional taxes to improve the quantity and quality of after-school care, she adds. Numerous studies have shown that between 3 and 8 p.m., teenagers are most likely to smoke, drink, use drugs, engage in sexual activity or commit crimes. Proportionately, very few kids do any of these things, but Ms. de Kanter and other experts suspect that the desire for more programming is based largely on Americans' fear that their kids might. After-school advocates also would like parents to realize, however, that activities do more than keep kids safe.