Researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands came to that conclusion after studying 290 children, ages 8 to 13. They assessed the children's fears in two ways. Of more concern to the researchers was the percentage of children who showed symptoms of preoccupation and anxiety over their fears. Experts in the field of child psychology say these are important but unsurprising findings. Stephen Garber, PhD, co-author of Monsters Under the Bed and Other Childhood Fears, says it's no wonder more kids are seriously scared these days, given what they're exposed to through the media.
Some kids are just immune to fear.
They never met a stranger. But a percentage of kids are just more prone to fear. How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them. Certainly kids have the ability to imagine monsters on their own. But the mass media provides an intense dose of things children would not have imagined.