The Great Sleepover Debate: Pillow Fights or Home for Nights

• In Event: Child Sexual Abuse: Preventing Harm and Helping Survivors

Abstract

For many decades, the sleepover was a primary routine activity of youth in America, with kids of all ages spending the night at friends’ houses to socialize beyond regular play hours. However, this once staple custom of growing-up has recently been under scrutiny due to the sleepover’s potential role in childhood safety, particularly related to childhood sexual abuse. Specifically, a growing number of parents are sharing their reservations via the media, social media platforms, and parental blogs about allowing their children to attend sleepovers. Collectively, data from these non-academic sources provide evidence that for many families, sleepovers are no longer permitted or have been restricted to occur in more narrow settings to prevent their children from victimization. Yet, to our knowledge, very little empirical research has been conducted to examine sleepover practices. Examining data from a national sample of U.S. parents, this study explores parental behaviors and attitudes towards sleepovers and the methods that they engage in to protect their children when staying the night outside the home.

Authors

• Jamie Snyder, University of Wyoming

• Heidi Scherer, Kennesaw State University