The survey found that almost nine in 10 (89 per cent) of children aged seven to 11 had been told off for playing outdoors, while half said adults had shouted at them for playing outside and just over a quarter (26 per cent) said they had been told to go away. The children said the most common reasons for being told off were making a noise (28 per cent) and being a nuisance (25 per cent). About one in three (32 per cent) children said that being told off stopped them from playing outdoors.
According to the survey the most intolerant adults are the children's parents (46 per cent), followed by other grown-ups (17 per cent), neighbours (15 per cent), and the police (6 per cent). Petra Coveney, Children's Society spokeswoman, said the high percentage of parents could be due to their awareness of neighbours and sensitivity to their feelings.
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