I know a 17-yr-old who goes to a school with a strict "no touching" policy - but it's a special school, for kids with major psychological issues. I couldn't imagine having a policy like that for a "normal" school.

I'm reminded of this article, showing how kids have lost the right to "roam" over the generations. Yeah, the reduced range is partly explained by urbanization, but only partly. Life is no more dangerous now than in decades or centuries past, we're just more bombarded with all the horror stories about worst case scenarios.

The comments on that article are rather enlightening too... like the one about how in 1965, almost every NYC high school had a rifle team, and kids carrying their .22's on the subway and around school would attract no more attention than band kids carrying a trombone.

I'm glad I grew up with a big roaming range - several miles at age 8. I guess I'm a throwback or something.