Not really to understand what people mean by 'feral children'

[bugster]

I've read lots of threads that refer to 'feral children'. Having lived outside the U.K. For 10 years, I'm not quite sure what's meant by this - it seems to be an expression that's recently come into use. My sister in law from England, who was over here a while back, refered to many of the young neighbourhood children who play outside and go in and out of each others' houses as 'feral'. I would have thought this was pretty normal behaviour for young children but 'feral children' seems to have a pretty negative connotation.

What would be your definition of 'feral children'?

I think that in any neighbourhood you can work out whether they are feral or not from the play and their language and their interaction with adults.
I agree that some people can perceive them as feral when they are not. Some people don't like DCs playing out on the street, whatever the area and sadly they no longer see it as normal because most DCs don't call for friends and play out the way they used to when I was young. They have arranged 'playdates' and stay in the house or garden.
It has got even worse in the last 10 yrs. DS remarked, after doing a run at about 4.30pm, that play areas were empty and he couldn't understand why he didn't see any DCs out playing.

This was after several days and good weather.