WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2007

Trick- or-Treating Is Not For Everyone

For Some Kids, The Frights Of Halloween Night Are A Little Too Real To Risk

  •  (AP)

  • Photo Essay Costumed Canines

    Who says Halloween fun is just for humans?

  • Special Report Fright Site

    Spine-tingling stories for the brave at heart. Click here, if you dare.

(AP)  Two-thirds of parents say their children will trick-or-treat this Halloween, but fewer minorities will let their kids go door to door, with some citing safety worries, a poll shows.

The survey found that 73 percent of whites versus 56 percent of minorities said their children will trick-or-treat.

That disparity in the survey is similar to the difference in how people view the safety of their neighborhoods, according to the poll by The Associated Press and Ipsos. Lower-income people and minorities are more likely to worry that it might not be safe to send their children out on Halloween night.

Overall, 86 percent of those questioned in the survey said their neighborhoods are safe for trick-or-treating. Ninety-one percent of whites, compared with 75 percent of minorities, said they felt their kids would be secure when they went out seeking candy in their area.

Similarly, 93 percent of people earning $50,000 or more said their communities are safe for trick-or-treating, compared with 76 percent of those making less than $25,000.

Even many people who view their neighborhoods as safe take precautions.

Nearly two-thirds of the people in the survey said their households will distribute Halloween treats to children who come to call. Seventy percent of people in the poll who consider themselves liberals and 67 percent of the moderates questioned said they would hand out treats, compared with 55 percent of conservatives.

Of those adults whose children will not trick-or-treat this year, one-quarter cited safety worries and about one-half said they do not celebrate Halloween.

"It's demonic," said Donna Stitt, 37, a nursing aide from Barto, Pa., with four young children. "People are celebrating the dead. I'm not into that."

© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 43 Comments
by Krazcarl October 29, 2007 11:01 AM EDT
gunownerdan..excellent point but was has this to do with trick or treat..I have a question what was you as a kid I''d like to know?
Reply to this comment
by gunownerdan October 29, 2007 10:53 AM EDT
"Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.
The cause of liberty, the cause of American, cannot succeed with any lesser effort."
- President John F. Kennedy, January 29, 1961
Reply to this comment
by Krazcarl October 29, 2007 7:28 AM EDT
granma..that''s rich great idea never thought of that.
Reply to this comment
by revwilliam October 29, 2007 3:49 AM EDT
Still believe in demons, Donna?
Welcome to the 21st century.
Is our children learning?
Reply to this comment
by grammawhamma October 29, 2007 3:34 AM EDT
When I was a little kid my friends and I were bored one summer day and decided to dig out our old halloween costumes and try trick or treating in June. It worked...people thought it was cute and all gave us something.
Reply to this comment
by grammawhamma October 29, 2007 3:28 AM EDT
scully152: It''s just more Ron Paul spam...the spammers just changed their format a little bit. They posted the same post on a lot of different articles. Just report them as abusing the site and cbs will get rid of them until they sign up with a different email address and posting name. They always come back but it makes it a little bit harder for them that way. I''m sick of it also.
Reply to this comment
by rohink-2009 October 29, 2007 2:51 AM EDT
Makes perfect sense to me. Liberals are always looking for a handout.
Reply to this comment
by michellem99-2009 October 29, 2007 2:03 AM EDT
scully152.READ THE STORY TRICK OR TREAT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE...yer pashing a TX asre. TRY THE POLITICS SITE.. It is there..
Reply to this comment
by scully152 October 29, 2007 1:05 AM EDT
I want to report a major fire, my friends. Our Constitution is on fire. & it''s currently being burned in Congress. See H.R. 1955, a.k.a, Violent Radicalization & Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.... Apparently, activists w/ Web sites are really begining to anger the elite insofar as they are publically holding them accountable for their evil. Here''s a part of the bill,... in spite of Congressman, Ron Paul''s opposition thereto. The right to free speech on the Internet is gone,... Look it up for yourself, & weep for your country that our rights have eroded this far. Here''s a short excerpt from the bill''s DEFINITIONS statement: "The development & implementation of methods & processes that can be utilized to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, & ideologically based violence in the US is critical to combating domestic terrorism." ..."The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, & the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad & constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens." And guess who get''s to decide what is "terrorist-related propaganda?" You got it! The Department of Homeland Insecurity, an agency that''s answerable ONLY to The President. If Ron Paul isn''t elected, our country is doomed! Posted by thefarrier
~~~~~~~ WHAT exactly does what you just said have to do with Trick or Treating?
Reply to this comment
by michellem99-2009 October 28, 2007 11:32 PM EDT
a foster mother was mormon and she was evil..i left the mormons and got a friend out..they crazy fools. golden what never seen them..I know them and we love giving them the gears..
Did ye know they say the gospel of Jesus is lost..Whwere yer hide it..I say it was never lost..They are ripped..My friend said to them where are you going to serve Jesus..They are gone..They may have a halloween party ..Bishop trick or treat..We gone..
Reply to this comment
by iceman_1960 October 28, 2007 9:53 PM EDT
"Big surprise ... people don"t let their children trick or treat in drug and crime ridden areas. Wonder how much they paid to find that one out."
- Posted by alura_02 at 12:18 PM : Oct 28, 2007

The medical field is also rife with studies like that.

e.g. "Larger portions at meals associated with weight gain, study finds."

Ya think...?

Reply to this comment
by iceman_1960 October 28, 2007 9:47 PM EDT
"Seventy percent of people in the poll who consider themselves liberals and 67 percent of the moderates questioned said they would hand out treats, compared with 55 percent of conservatives."

That figures.

At Hillary Clinton"s house they"ll be giving each trick-or-treater a $5,000 check and free health insurance.
Reply to this comment
by iceman_1960 October 28, 2007 9:43 PM EDT
I"m going to egg Donna Stitt"s car on Halloween night.





[just kidding]
Reply to this comment
by iceman_1960 October 28, 2007 9:41 PM EDT
"It''s demonic," said Donna Stitt."

Not if the kids are Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF.

Then it"s angelic.




"Course, it"s not half as much fun.
Reply to this comment
by iceman_1960 October 28, 2007 9:37 PM EDT
Ever try Trick-or-Treating on Christmas Eve ?

That really shakes people up.
Reply to this comment
by Krazcarl October 28, 2007 9:16 PM EDT
M99 yes the mormons are just a pimple on the *ss of progress a few looking for power and found it they will answer unfortunately not in this life, Did I mention I found some gold tablets in Maine they said I was to be rich and famous and tell others how to live all on the promise of plural marriages and if no one takes the offer we''ll appoint ladies as the token of gods trust in me. I was told to go to dead area of the country that no one wants to go and further my beliefs and if they happen by hire the indians to massacre them, Anyone that believes this needs counseling just because you grew up in it does not make it right ask the suicide bombers it''s beyond stupid and to be honest has it''s roots in perversion.
Reply to this comment
by usaprophet October 28, 2007 9:12 PM EDT
I want to report a major fire, my friends. Our Constitution is on fire. And it''s currently being burned in Congress. See H.R. 1955, a.k.a., Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. I couldn''t believe it. Apparently, activists with Web sites are really begining to anger the elite insofar as they are publically holding them accountable for their evil. Here''s a part of the bill, which passed the house on Oct 23, in spite of Congressman, Ron Paul''s opposition thereto. The right to free speech on the Internet is gone, my friends. Look it up for yourself, and weep for your country that our rights have eroded this far. Here''s a short excerpt from the bill''s DEFINITIONS statement: "The development and implementation of methods and processes that can be utilized to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States is critical to combating domestic terrorism." Here''s another excerpt from the bill''s FINDINGS statement: "The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens." And guess who get''s to decide what is "terrorist-related propaganda?" You got it! The Department of Homeland Insecurity, an agency that''s answerable ONLY to The President. If Ron Paul isn''t elected, our country is doomed!
Reply to this comment
by knyghtwolf October 28, 2007 8:20 PM EDT
Hey alura_02, went to Wally World to get more candy because we have a bigger group of kids this year than last and they were getting out the christmas displays and the thanksgiving stuff too but they were playing christmas music!!!! Guess there are no thanksgiving holiday tunes, eh?
Reply to this comment
by tnt1954 October 28, 2007 8:20 PM EDT
according to the acts of toleration in england,
halloween is a time of frolicking in whatever
shape or form the said individual desires.
some find it a time to spray grafitti in strategic
places, to leave their ''marks'' on society. to
exhibit wares of all kinds even with a red lantern
outside their apartment. or house. just to show off.
and to give people who do grafitti removal good
business and repeat sales. sometimes people even
paint the nude pink lady on the malibu tunnel, in
enthusiastic ecstasy. adults over the age of 55
do kinda wonder if the great great grandkids are
allright. even if they were never allowed to
have custody from day one. and they look back
in poignancy and just through mope they cope for hope.
visit a senile person in a rest home that day.
britney''s album will out be in time for great great
grandma''s to listen to on halloween. two more
days to wait. suspense. will sue lyons and i live till then.
Reply to this comment
by tnt1954 October 28, 2007 7:42 PM EDT
god bless the dead, they too were alive at one time.
is their a soul? will there be a general resurrection
at the last day? when the dead in christ will
rise first, then joined by the entire company
for an encore after the finale? what will we do
after we are resurrected in our spiritual bodies?
will some be separated to a land of eternal hell-fire?
like the rich man dives was? parable of lazarus
and the rich man dives. lazarus was a poor beggar
who lived off the crumbs of the rich man''s table.
if were a smart trick or treater i''d do my
rounds in a rich neighborhood. through bussing.
what will britney spears give at halloween this
year? in some neighborhoods, adults will cower
in fear, from juvenile delinquents, and the
possiblity of getting framed for everything
from murder to molestation by s.o.b. kids.
some kids are smarter than a whip. and tuffer
than rawhide.
Reply to this comment
See all 43 Comments

Exclusive Webshow

Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie." Watch Now

Latest News
News in Pictures
Scroll Left Scroll Right
Connect with CBS News

Stay connected with the CBS News using your favorite social networks and online news applications: