Parents should encourage tweens and teens to take risks—here's why

Phys · Aug 17, 2026 · 781 words · By Tonia Gray; Jaydene Barnes; Marion Sturges

Child Development Parenting Strategies Risk Management

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What to know about Child Development

The article discusses the developmental importance of 'risky play' for children aged 9–15, distinguishing between manageable risks and dangerous hazards. It provides guidance for parents on how to encourage independence and resilience by allowing children to navigate challenges and minor setbacks.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 5

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Parents should encourage tweens and teens to take risks—here's why Swati Mestri Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor Parents may have heard of the dangers of being a "helicopter parent." They hover so closely over their kids that they never get a…

Why it matters

But avoiding this is easier said than done, especially when most parents would agree their first job is to keep their kids safe.

Common ground

As children grow older, into late elementary and early high school years, managing risks becomes even more difficult as children want to push boundaries and develop their independence.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Child Development story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license?
How does this story connect Child Development with Parenting Strategies over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-parents-tweens-teens.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

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Claim 1: “This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news outlets (Daily Maverick, Phys) explicitly state that the article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Conversation is a network of nonprofit media outlets publishing news stories and research reports online, authored by academics with professional journalist editors to produce accessible research-…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conversation_(website)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable works available under a Creative Commons license. There are multiple Creative Commons licenses, each with important differences.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_Creative_Commons…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Creative Commons is maintaining a content directory wiki of organizations and projects using Creative Commons licenses. On its website CC also provides case studies of projects using CC licenses acros…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons–licensed_cont…

+ 5 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “If adolescents don't get healthy opportunities to experience uncertainty and challenge, research suggests they can seek other outlets for risk-taking. This can result in harmful, reckless or antisocial behavior.”

CORROBORATED

Evidence from multiple sources suggests that a lack of healthy outlets for risk-taking can lead adolescents to seek harmful or antisocial alternatives.

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web search NEUTRAL — If adolescents don’t get healthy opportunities to experience uncertainty and challenge, research suggests they can seek other outlets for risk taking. This can be in in harmful, reckless, or antisocia…
https://theconversation.com/of-course-parents-want-to-keep-t…

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web search NEUTRAL — Risky play is the bedrock of learning from experience and a prerequisite for healthy child and adolescent development. Exposure to opportunities that foster prosocial or positive risk taking during th…
https://www.playaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/PA_Grow…

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web search NEUTRAL — Individual differences in prosocial risk-taking behavior depend on youth’s access to opportunities to explore, practice, and experience positive social feedback.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12392804/

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Claim 3: “Researchers understand "risky play" to be adventurous, challenging and uncertainty-based activities that offer developmental benefits.”

CORROBORATED

The definition of 'risky play' as adventurous, challenging, and uncertainty-based activities with developmental benefits is consistently reported across multiple research-based sources.

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web search NEUTRAL — In research, risky play, is defined as any type of thrilling free play that involves one or more the following: • High speed. • Heights.The Benefits of Risky Play. Although it might make you nervous, …
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fc6686ec6229360ecd28…

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web search NEUTRAL — Risky play is defined as thrilling and challenging forms of play that have the potential for physical injury and has been linked to developmental and health benefits for children in the early years.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1280205

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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers understand “risky play” to be adventurous, challenging and uncertainty-based activities that offer developmental benefits. It could include unstructured play, such as exploring in nature a…
https://theconversation.com/of-course-parents-want-to-keep-t…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 4: “Adolescence marks a sharp neurobiological shift, during which sensitivity to rewards peaks, sensation-seeking intensifies, but impulse control remains immature.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is directly supported by The Conversation and multiple web search results discussing adolescent neurobiology, specifically mentioning the peak in reward sensitivity and the immaturity of impulse control.

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web search NEUTRAL — Adolescence is a period characterized by increased sensitivity to social cues, as well as increased risk-taking in the presence of peers. For example, automobile crashes are the leading cause of death…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284094913_Cognitive…

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web search NEUTRAL — Adolescence marks a sharp neurobiological shift, during which sensitivity to rewards peaks, sensation-seeking intensifies, but impulse control remains immature.
https://theconversation.com/of-course-parents-want-to-keep-t…

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web search NEUTRAL — Increases in sensation-seeking behavior are observed in 14 to 22-year-olds. The level of sensation-seeking is typically greater in males than females and continues further into adulthood for males.
https://adolescentpsychology.pressbooks.sunycreate.cloud/cha…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 5: “Research tells us that adventure and positive risk-taking help cultivate executive function (which includes planning and working memory), emotional regulation, confidence, resilience and social competence.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm that positive risk-taking and risky play contribute to the development of executive function, emotional regulation, resilience, and social competence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Research tells us that adventure and positive risk-taking help cultivate executive function (which includes planning and working memory), emotional regulation, confidence, resilience and social compet…
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-parents-tweens-teens.html

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web search NEUTRAL — Prosocial or positive risk taking is an incubator that helps children and adolescents grow and develop. The widely recognised benefits of risky play, including enhanced emotional regulation, social co…
https://www.playaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/PA_Grow…

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web search NEUTRAL — Self-regulation — managing emotions, hesitations, and excitement. Risk assessment — learning to judge situations independently. Resilience — facing uncertainty and pushing through it. Goal-setting and…
https://outclass.nz/the-confidence-built-by-risky-play/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.