One of my co-workers expatriated to Sweden for a few years. There were tweens just hopping on the bus and going to the museum miles away. But I get the feeling that one could trust the average Swede would prevent harm to a child from a pedophile.

In contrast to what many people think, Nordic people are fairly strict with what kids are allowed to do when they are small. We spend a lot of time and effort to ensure that kids are well behaved and can be trusted and don't act out when they are small, and then, gradually, they are allowed more freedom as they grow older. By the time they're young teenagers we generally feel like they've demonstrated that they can be trusted and they are often allowed to bike or take the bus around town and live with a lot more freedom.

Maybe you're thinking "Duh, that's how everyone does it!", but the reason I mention it is that I've experienced that many cultures do it differenty; when the kids are young they are allowed a lot of freedom and very little responsibility, then as they grow older their parents will restrict them more and more. It's pretty much the opposite of the Nordic approach.

We're veering off course (or I am, at least), but I find the differences in parenting across cultures very fascinating.

One commenter said that the leashes are for safe toddler independence, not control, and I guess I can see that. It makes sense, even if it would be cultural taboo in my part of the world.