As the Halloween season approaches, scary movies, spooky decorations, and fall colors slowly surround us. Covid-19 has put a damper on trick-or-treating festivities last year, but with the rise in numbers of vaccinations, holidays spent with families and friends will soon return back to normal. Although college students do not typically participate in trick-or-treating, they may have younger siblings who do and need to be reminded of how to have fun but steer clear from the dangers that can occur.
From a young age, parents work to guide their children away from trouble and see certain dangers in every situation. As a child, one thing you’re taught is to stay clear of unfamiliar individuals and stay close to people you know and trust. At some point in a child’s life, their parents may express to their young ones how they should never take candy from strangers. Explaining that the candy may contain drugs, or be used to lure naive kids to become victims of kidnapping. Yet, each year on Halloween, parents take their kids trick-or-treating or even let them wander alone with friends.
The principle of trust applies in this situation. The child who once heard their parents say not to take candy from strangers now participates in this activity where the main concept involves doing so. Why does society put so much trust in unfamiliar neighbors, when in reality these neighbors present the same dangers of strangers that children need to stay away from?
Charley Ross sadly became a victim of trusting strangers. Charley and his brother Walter enjoyed their summer afternoon playing outside in their father’s front yard when a group of grown men parked beside them and offered fireworks and candy. The two boys in awe accepted but were not prepared for the events that followed. Later that day when the boys’ father came home and found his children missing, he raced straight to the police. After receiving little to no help, the father searched the streets of his small town in Pennsylvania on his own, soon finding his son Walter, but Charley remained missing.
The story of Charley and Walter Ross became an example to both parents and children to beware of the hidden intent of trusting strangers and their candy. The contradiction of children not interacting with strangers is completely overlooked when it comes to Halloween.
It’s unfortunate that children must worry about disguised dangers in a time where they are simply supposed to enjoy their youth. Remembering to spread the word about safety practices during the Halloween season is the first step to safely impacting young people’s experience while they are out.