Latchkey Children

Latchkey children or Latchkey kids go home to empty houses because their parents are away (often at work). The keys are typically hung around the children’s necks or hidden near the door. This was most likely coined during World War II when many children were left home alone as their fathers were enlisted into the armed forces and their mothers had to look for jobs. Nowadays, this is evident in many families as both parents are working or the children have only one parent. This kind of upbringing may foster self-reliance but it was also found out to lead to hostile behavior, sexual promiscuity, and drug abuse. For instance, research has shown that teens who were not supervised by their parents for at least 2 days per week were more likely getting drunk after school hours.