在我们小的时候，尤其是在农村，好多孩子其实是比较自立的。记得那时候，经常看到有的小朋友脖子有一两把钥匙，用红色的毛线挂着。我以为只有在农村会有这样的现象呢，因为家长忙着干活，没有时间总是呆在家里等孩子放学。然而，竟然发现，“挂钥匙的儿童”在国外也有，原来这种现象也是常见的呢！
Latchkey kid or latchkey child refers to a child who returns from school to an empty home because his or her parent or parents are away at work, or a child who is often left at home with little or no parental supervision.
The term refers to the latchkey of a door to a house. The key is often strung around the child's neck or left hidden under a mat (or some other object) at the rear door to the property. The term is claimed to have originated from an NBC documentary in 1944, due to the phenomenon of children being left home alone becoming common during and after World War II, when one parent would be enlisted into the armed forces, so the other would get a job.
The effects of being a latchkey child differ with age. Loneliness, boredom and fear are most common for those younger than 10 years of age. In the early teens, there is a greater susceptibility to peer pressure, potentially resulting in alcohol abuse and smoking.
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