This article describes the concern that parents have about their children being victims of assault if left unsupervised in public. It examines how widespread these concerns are and whether children are also afraid of being attacked. It looks at whether parents are more worried for their daughters than their sons, and whether their concerns decline as children get older. It discusses whether certain types of parents are more worried than others about the safety of their children - for example, do city parents have a greater sense of danger than parents living in rural areas, and do low income families and families from non-English-speaking backgrounds have a greater sense of vulnerability about their children than other families? The data are drawn from the Australian Living Standards Study (ALSS) conducted in 12 localities throughout Australia. Parents answered questions about each of their children living in the household.