Final answer:
Modern Americans typically do not tell children about bogeymen due to the recognition of potential psychological harm and because societal changes have made such stories less necessary and relevant. Safety education now favors direct guidance over fear-based tales.
Step-by-step explanation:
One structural explanation for why modern Americans don’t tell young children about bogeymen who will steal them away if they wander at night is related to changing societal norms and practices. Option (a), fences and locks replace the function of these stories, comes close but doesn't fully explain the cultural shift. The reason is twofold: Firstly, our society has grown to recognize that frightening tales can potentially cause lasting psychological harm (option c). Secondly, the role of such stories has been supplanted by more tangible safety measures, like fences and locks, as well as a greater understanding of child psychology and child rearing practices.
Historically, stories of bogeymen and supernatural entities served to instill caution in children and help maintain order, by providing simple, though terrifying, explanations for the unknown and enforcing behavioral norms. With the advancement of societal understanding and the emergence of critical thinking about myths and legends, the belief in such entities has significantly diminished. Moreover, with improved law enforcement and communal supervising practices, the need to scare children into compliance with fear of the supernatural has waned.
In modern American culture, safety and education about strangers and the dangers of wandering alone at night are emphasized through more direct and less psychologically disturbing means. The practice of telling such tales has been largely abandoned in favor of fostering environments where children can learn about safety through open dialogue and appropriate parental guidance, without the trauma that might be associated with fear of the supernatural.