The Sky is Falling

I cringed at this news item:

Rescued Utah boy had hid from searchers
The 11-year-old boy lost for four days in the Utah mountains might have been found sooner had it not been for the fact that he was taught to stay away from strangers, his uncle and a sheriff told NBC News on Wednesday.

I'm sure we all have wondered if the negative aspects of teaching a generation of kids to stay away from strangers would come back to bite us. Certainly I have read that the hysteria about kids being abducted is not statistically supported. The chance of abduction has always been a miniscule risk compared to most anything. I know the emotion of a parent not wanting to have their child hurt, but ironically, I think kids are also hurt by fearing to smile or wave at people, or as in this case, be afraid to be rescued.