Tim Gill's new book says that instead of creating a "nanny state" we should build a society where communities look out for each other and youngsters.
The book explores several key areas, including children's play, anti-social behaviour and fear of strangers.
In No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society, Mr Gill argues that childhood is being undermined by the growth of risk aversion and its intrusion into every aspect of children's lives.
Activities that previous generations of children enjoyed without a second thought - like walking to school on their own - have been re-labelled as troubling or dangerous and the adults who permit them branded as irresponsible, he argues.
But through encountering risks, children learn how to overcome challenging situations, nurturing their character and fostering a sense of adventure, entrepreneurialism, resilience and self-reliance, claims Mr Gill.
Restricting children's play limits their freedom of movement, corrodes their relationships with adults and constrains their exploration of physical, social and virtual worlds, he asserts.
He said: "Although there is a widely-held view that children grow up faster today, in fact their lives are far more controlled than they were 30 years ago.
"In this shrinking domain of childhood, our tendency always to view children as fragile means we are not encouraging them to develop their natural resilience - learning to manage risk in an age-appropriate way.
"This is not an unconditional plea for the deregulation of childhood: children want adults to help them stay safe, and of course we must accept that responsibility.
"But rather than having a nanny state, where risk aversion dominates the landscape, we should be aspiring to a childfriendly society, where communities look out for each other and for children."
