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The inside story Children's play has moved behind locked doors. NEARLY ONE IN every five children is kept inside as much as possible because of potential neighborhood dan ger, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released this year. Inner-city kids are the most likely to play indoors because of their parents’ fears, with Hispanic parents being the most cautious. Nearly half of all Hispanic children in inner cities were deliberately kept inside in 2003, the report says. “It’s a sign of overprotective parents,” says Rhonda Clements, a professor of education at New York’s Manhattanville College who contends that parents’ fears are largely misplaced. In fact, serious crimes against chil dren (and adults) have plummeted over the past decade. For children ages 12 to 19, the violent crime rate dropped by ;,.' *m! S I «Hhb|^bJ^, Despite a drop in crimes against children, nearly 20° o of kids are kept inside for safety. more than half between 1995 and 2005, the Bureau of Justice Statistics says. Ironically, parents need to worry as much, if not more, about children play ing indoors on computers. Strangers kid napped 115 kids in 1999, the Justice De partment says. Yet one in seven young Intel-net users received unwanted sex ual solicitations online in 2005, and one in 11 was harassed online, according to a study by the University of New Hamp shire’s Crimes Against Children Re search Center. ca — Rochelle Sharpe USA WEEKEND • Oct. 12-14,2007 :m. Of *r?s sjm ©2007 KF Holdings. 15 ■ % ’ ,/If: HAVE YOU TRIED OUR NEW MULTI-GRAIN WITH VANILLA CLUSTERS YET? It’s a whole new kind of Honey Bundies of Oats. Toasty mutfr-grain flakes and crunchy oat clusters with the great taste of real vanilla, tfs an excellent source of whole grain with 34g in each serving. We just know you’re going to love it Give it a try. One spoonful is all it takes. I oneSpoiMil.com