Item of Interest || Why Kids Need Scary Stories

from Jed Alexander's blog, I Apologize in Advance:

Theres no denying that violent stories are compelling. The threat of violence is the easiest way to put your character in jeopardy. But I think there's another reason these stories are so brutal, even if it wasn't a conscious one. Before modern medicine, children were surrounded by death; death in childbirth, death by disease, death from violent mishap. People simply didn't live as long, and you never knew when someone you loved or cared for might die some horrible death. I think these kinds of stories served as a buffer for that. As a safe container for, and point of transition to accepting real death and real violent misfortune.

Read more at: http://jedalexander.blogspot.com/2011/07/why-kids-need-scary-stories.html