New Sleepover Concerns

Thanks, Michael Jackson. You've given parents and grandparents a whole new level of anxiety over what used to be a favorite American childhood pastime: the sleepover. Now many adults are worried about the implications of letting a child sleep in someone else's home.

"While it's important not to overreact to the potential dark side of sleepovers, parents should still err on the side of caution, said Dr. Pepper Schwartz, a professor of sociology at the University of Washington in Seattle and past president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality."

Some parents now say they only permit young children to sleep over with relatives, including grandparents.