There are hazards that come with living in general, but some are naturally more pronounced in the city. The fact that it’s not safe to walk alone after dark, the rise of gun violence on the streets, gangs and drugs, exposure to homelessness, foul-mouthed neighbors bringing their arguments out into the yard for public consumption, needle-strewn sidewalks and broken bottles on the treelawn, air pollution, the potential threat of lead in the soil and water, child abductions, burglaries, and so on.

I grew up in a nice neighborhood in the country and wasn’t exposed to any of that as a kid. My heart grieves about the conversations (age-appropriate, of course) we’ve needed to have with our children, ones about sexual abuse, human trafficking, strangers, gangs, and drugs. What they should do if they found a needle (which they have), what they should do if someone has a gun, what they should do if an adult they don’t know approaches them outside, and what they should do if someone tries to snatch them. We’ve never plainly stated our neighborhood isn’t safe because we don’t want them to live scared, but we do want them to be informed and aware. It wouldn’t surprise me, however, if they’ve deduced as much....